If Scherzer keeps up his pace for the remainder of the season, it would be the 13th highest strikeout rate for qualifying starters (162 or more innings) since 1901. It would also be the highest rate ever for a Tiger. Table 1 below shows that the amazing Randy Johnson is the king of high K rates with a remarkable 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings for Arizona in 2001. The Big Unit also had five other seasons with 11.6 or more strikeouts per nine innings.
Table 1: All-Time Seasonal SO/ 9 Innings Leaders
Pitcher
|
Year
|
Team
|
IP
|
SO
|
SO/
9 IP
|
Randy
Johnson
|
2001
|
ARI
|
249.2
|
372
|
13.4
|
Pedro
Martinez
|
1999
|
BOS
|
213.1
|
313
|
13.2
|
Kerry
Wood
|
1998
|
CHN
|
166.2
|
233
|
12.6
|
Randy
Johnson
|
2000
|
ARI
|
248.2
|
347
|
12.6
|
Randy
Johnson
|
1995
|
SEA
|
214.1
|
294
|
12.3
|
Randy
Johnson
|
1997
|
SEA
|
213.0
|
291
|
12.3
|
Randy
Johnson
|
1999
|
ARI
|
271.2
|
364
|
12.1
|
Pedro
Martinez
|
2000
|
BOS
|
217.0
|
284
|
11.8
|
Randy
Johnson
|
2002
|
ARI
|
260.0
|
334
|
11.6
|
Nolan
Ryan
|
1987
|
HOU
|
211.2
|
270
|
11.5
|
Dwight
Gooden
|
1984
|
NYN
|
218.0
|
276
|
11.4
|
Pedro
Martinez
|
1997
|
MON
|
241.1
|
305
|
11.4
|
Max
Scherzer
|
2012
|
DET
|
154.2
|
195
|
11.3
|
Kerry
Wood
|
2003
|
CHN
|
211.0
|
266
|
11.3
|
Nolan
Ryan
|
1989
|
TEX
|
239.1
|
301
|
11.3
|
Curt
Schilling
|
1997
|
PHI
|
254.1
|
319
|
11.3
|
Notice that all the pitchers in Table 1 pitched in 1984 or later. As you can see in Figure 1 below, there has been a great deal of variation in strikeout rates throughout baseball history. Rates range from 2.7 in 1924 to an all-time high of 7.5 in 2011. Some credit has to go to modern pitchers, who have more pitches and more information about opposing batters than ever before. However, much of the variation is likely due to the way batters approach the game. In earlier decades, batters were more interested on making contact, whereas today there is more focus on swinging for the fences.
Data Source: Baseball-Reference.com
Regardless of the reasons for the wildly different strikeout rates, it is a challenge to compare pitchers from different eras. For example, when Tommy Bridges struck out 138 batters in 245 innings for the Tigers in 1937, his 5.1 K9 was fifth best in the American League. That was an impressive rate in a league where pitchers averaged only 3.7 strikeouts per game. Conversely, Rick Porcello punched out batters at the same rate in 2011, but it was a rather low total in a league with a 7.1 average.
Fortunately, Raphy at High Heat Stats has come up with a way to make it easier to compare strikeout rates of pitchers from different eras. He normalized strikeout totals for all seasons of pitchers with 1,000 or more innings pitched using a measure similar to ERA+. The difference is that it's for strikeouts rather than ERA. I will call this measure relative strikeout rate (or K9+) and apply it to single seasons.
To calculate K9+, simply divide a pitcher's K/ 9 IP by the league K/9 IP and then multiply by 100. The strikeout rate for the AL only in 2012 is 7.3, so Scherzer's K9+ = 11.3/ 7.3 x 100 = 155. In words, that means Scherzer's K rate is 55% higher than the league average.
Table 2 shows that the Scherzer is nowhere close to the all-time relative strikeout rate leaders. Dazzy Vance had a K9+ of 276 pitching for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1924. His raw K rate was only 7.6, but that was much higher than the league rate of 2.8. Mr Vance regularly had K9+ of greater than 200 and occupies five of the top seven positions on the list. So, by this measure, Vance would be considered the most dominant strikeout pitcher relative to his league in the history of baseball. The leading Tiger was Hal Newhouser with 199 in 1946.
Table 2: All-Time Seasonal Relative K Rate Leaders
Pitcher
|
Year
|
Team
|
IP
|
K
|
K/9
IP
|
Lg
K/ 9 IP
|
k9+
|
Dazzy
Vance
|
1924
|
BRO
|
308.1
|
262
|
7.6
|
2.8
|
276
|
Dazzy
Vance
|
1926
|
BRO
|
169.0
|
140
|
7.5
|
2.8
|
270
|
Rube
Waddell
|
1902
|
PHA
|
276.1
|
210
|
6.8
|
2.5
|
270
|
Dazzy
Vance
|
1925
|
BRO
|
265.1
|
221
|
7.5
|
2.8
|
268
|
Lefty
Grove
|
1926
|
PHA
|
258.0
|
194
|
6.8
|
2.8
|
238
|
Dazzy
Vance
|
1928
|
BRO
|
280.1
|
200
|
6.4
|
2.8
|
232
|
Dazzy
Vance
|
1923
|
BRO
|
280.1
|
197
|
6.3
|
2.8
|
229
|
Johnny
Vander Meer
|
1941
|
CIN
|
226.1
|
202
|
8.0
|
3.6
|
225
|
Nolan Ryan
|
1978
|
CAL
|
234.2
|
260
|
10.0
|
4.5
|
220
|
Herb
Score
|
1955
|
CLE
|
227.1
|
245
|
9.7
|
4.4
|
220
|
Unlike Table 1, Table 2 is dominated by pitchers who pitchers who pitched in early decades. Since it is sometimes unfair to compare players from different decades even on relative rates, I'll include one more table. Table 2 looks at K9+ for pitchers since 2000. Randy Johnson heads the list with a 192 K9+ in 2001. Scherzer's 155 in 2012 is not in the top 10. In fact, he would need to boost his K 9/ IP to 11.9 to make the cut.
Table 2: Seasonal Relative K Rate Leaders Since 2000
Pitcher
|
Year
|
Team
|
IP
|
K
|
K/9
IP
|
Lg
K/ 9 IP
|
K9+
|
Randy
Johnson
|
2001
|
ARI
|
249.7
|
372
|
13.4
|
7.0
|
192
|
Pedro
Martinez
|
2000
|
BOS
|
217.0
|
284
|
11.8
|
6.3
|
188
|
Randy
Johnson
|
2000
|
ARI
|
248.7
|
347
|
12.6
|
6.7
|
186
|
Pedro
Martinez
|
2002
|
BOS
|
199.3
|
239
|
10.8
|
6.3
|
172
|
Randy
Johnson
|
2002
|
ARI
|
260.0
|
334
|
11.6
|
6.8
|
171
|
Kerry
Wood
|
2003
|
CHN
|
211.0
|
266
|
11.3
|
6.6
|
171
|
Erik
Bedard
|
2007
|
BAL
|
182.0
|
221
|
10.9
|
6.6
|
165
|
Oliver
Perez
|
2004
|
PIT
|
196.0
|
239
|
11.0
|
6.7
|
163
|
Pedro Martinez
|
2003
|
BOS
|
186.7
|
206
|
9.9
|
6.1
|
162
|
Johan
Santana
|
2004
|
MIN
|
228.0
|
265
|
10.5
|
6.4
|
162
|
So, Scherzer's strikeout rate is not as historic as the raw numbers suggest. The bigger story is probably the incredible MLB record rate this year. Still, Scherzer's propensity for strikeouts is remarkable by 2012 standards.
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