2025 MLB Strikeout Leader Odds and Predictions

The 2025 MLB season is finally underway. One of the most exciting futures markets is predicting the strikeout leader.

Many of the game’s top arms are vying for the title, and it’s worth examining the latest odds and predictions to help you make the most informed bets.

Check out our betting preview for the 2025 MLB strikeout race. For more MLB betting coverage, go find our World Series predictions, our complete MLB coverage, and team-by-team breakdowns on our MLB Teams page.

All-Time Strikeout Leaders

Some of the greatest pitchers of all time have cemented their legacies with dominant strikeout numbers. Here are the top five all-time strikeout leaders:

• Nolan Ryan – 5,714
• Randy Johnson – 4,875
• Roger Clemens – 4,672
• Steve Carlton – 4,136
• Bert Blyleven – 3,701

Most Strikeouts In A Season

The most strikeouts recorded by a pitcher in a single season is 383, achieved by Nolan Ryan in 1973. Ryan’s longevity certainly contributed to that record, as the burly Texan logged a whopping 27 seasons at the major league level.

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Nolan Ryan Strikeouts

Ryan’s 5,714 career strikeouts remain an unreachable benchmark for most pitchers. Beyond his single-season record of 383 strikeouts in 1973, Ryan led the league in strikeouts 11 times throughout his 27-year career.

Strikeouts Leader 2024

In 2024, the Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal led the majors with 228 punchouts. Skubal won the American League Cy Young Award after claiming the AL’s pitching triple crown – leading the circuit in strikeouts, wins, and ERA. Chris Sale – the NL Cy Young winner – was a close 2nd with 225 Ks, while Zack Wheeler and Dylan Cease each recorded 224.

MLB Strikeout Leader Odds

Check out the latest MLB odds for which pitcher will have the most strikeouts:

Paul Skenes leads the way as the early betting favorite, and his powerful arm makes him a logical choice. Meanwhile, Garrett Crochet and Tarik Skubal also offer enticing odds for bettors. For more expert picks, check out the best handicappers.

Strikeout Leader Favorites

The following pitchers are considered the betting favorites to have the most strikeouts, courtesy of the top sports betting sites:

Paul Skenes (+400)

The former LSU standout has quickly risen to prominence with a blistering fastball and excellent command. Skenes arrived in the majors last season after a short stint in the minors, and he quickly took the league by storm.

As a rookie, Skenes went 11-3 across 23 starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates with a sparkling 1.96 ERA. He started on the mound for the National League in the All-Star Game – an incredibly rare feat for a first-year player – and posted 170 strikeouts in just 133 innings. Skenes’ 33.1 percent strikeout rate also ranked among the league leaders.

The Pirates didn’t really show much inclination to limit Skenes’ workload last year, but we’ll see how they approach him in his first full season at the MLB level. He’s still only 22, and you can bet they won’t be eager to run him into the ground. Skenes is built like a tank and profiles as a legitimate workhorse capable of leading a rotation, and his ability to pitch deep into games will certainly help him rack up the Ks.

Skenes is a justifiable favorite at +400 to lead the majors in whiffs, but I do have some reservations. If the Pirates – a middling roster overall – fall out of the playoff race before September, the team could opt to lighten his workload down the stretch.

Garrett Crochet (+750)

Garrett Crochet came out of nowhere to become the ace of the Chicago White Sox’ staff a season ago. After moving into a starting role after serving as a reliever earlier in his career, Crochet posted a whopping 12.9 K/9 with a 3.58 ERA in 32 starts. Because he was starting for the first time, however, the Sox decided to take it easy on his workload in the season’s latter months.

This winter, Chicago shipped Crochet up to Boston, where he’ll headline the Red Sox’ revamped rotation. Crochet drew the Opening Day start for Boston with mixed results. He only allowed a couple of runs across 5 innings against the Texas Rangers with just 4 strikeouts. You can bet his strikeout numbers will rise moving forward, and the Rangers aren’t a particularly easy matchup from a Ks perspective.

Last season, Crochet’s 35.1 percent strikeout rate was among the highest in the league for a starting pitcher. As is the case with Skenes, though, will the team fully unleash him to a point where he’ll lead the league in punchouts this season? Crochet’s 146 innings pitched a season ago were easily the most of his MLB career. The Red Sox have aspirations to contend this season, and if they’re in the race, I assume Crochet will be given a longer leash than he was last season in Chicago.

Still, this bet isn’t without risk. Crochet offers upside at +750 given his sheer ability, but he isn’t my favorite bet on the board.

Tarik Skubal (+950)

Skubal – last year’s strikeouts leader – is something of a long shot at +950 to repeat the feat this season. That’s pretty interesting, especially considering it’s not like last season’s performance was a blip on the radar. Skubal’s 2024 was easily the best season of his career, but he’s quietly been a force atop the Detroit Tigers’ rotation for the past several years.

Skubal’s 228 punchouts last season were a career-high, but he actually posted a higher strikeout rate the season prior. Skubal whiffed 32.9 percent of his foes in 2023, though he was held to just 80.1 innings that year due to injury. Last year, he posted a K-rate of 30.3 percent.

Injuries have been a theme for Skubal early in his career, unfortunately. He’s crossed the 30-start threshold twice in his 4 full big-league seasons. The Tigers – after surprisingly capturing an AL Wild Card berth last season – are planning to contend again this year. Skubal will be given every opportunity to pitch deep into as many games as possible, so he doesn’t share the same workload concerns I have about Skenes or Crochet.

That – and Skubal’s utter dominance – makes him a terrific bet to win back-to-back strikeouts titles at the +950 odds. I assume his odds will only come down from here, so hop on this train while you can still catch it. The upside is immense.

Dylan Cease (+1000)

Dylan Cease – Crochet’s former teammate in Chicago – has been a strikeout machine over the course of his career. He came to within a few whiffs of catching Skubal for last year’s K crown, and he’s been a consistent strikeout pitcher for his entire MLB career.

Cease has a career K-rate of 28.4 percent, though he topped 30 percent in both 2021 and 2022. He’s come down slightly ever since – a trade-off for his improved control – but he has a long enough leash to rack up some serious numbers.

Whether Cease finishes the season with the San Diego Padres remains to be seen. The Padres don’t look quite as imposing on paper this year as they did last year, and they could look to cash in on Cease on the trade market if things go south. Cease would likely find his way to another contender via trade, however, so we shouldn’t have to be concerned about a potential innings limit regardless of where he lands if he’s shipped out of town.

Cease has totaled at least 200 strikeouts in each of the last 4 seasons. His durability has been an asset, as he’s made at least 32 starts in each of those campaigns, as well. While Cease has never led the league in strikeouts, he is a consistent presence near the top of the leaderboard. Like Skubal, he’s another excellent option at +1000 to finally reach the top of the mountain in 2025.

The Best Strikeout Leader Betting Value

The following pitchers offer the best betting value to lead the league in strikeouts:

Blake Snell (+1300)

Blake Snell’s high strikeout rate and ability to dominate opponents make him a sleeper pick at these odds. If he remains consistent, he could easily be in the mix.

However, pitching deep into games has been a weakness for Snell throughout his career. He’s now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team famous for keeping their pitcher’s workloads in check. LA has an extremely deep crop of starting pitching talent, so they don’t have to run Snell into the ground. They can afford to limit his pitch count in an attempt to keep him healthy for another run at a World Series title.

In his Dodgers debut on Opening Day, Snell posted just a couple of strikeouts across 5 so-so innings of work. The 2-time Cy Young winner is as dominant as anyone in the game when he’s on, but control issues have also plagued him. Snell’s 30 percent career K-rate is elite, but he also has a career walk rate pushing 11 percent. Snell has also never touched 200 innings in a single season, and he has just 2 200-strikeout seasons on his ledger.

He has the talent to lead the league in strikeouts, but I don’t think he’ll pitch enough to do it. Still, at +1300, you’re getting solid value.

Jacob deGrom (+2500)

When healthy, deGrom is arguably the best pitcher in baseball. His strikeout potential at +2500 offers incredible value if he can stay on the field. That is a monstrous “if,” however.

DeGrom is simply never healthy. He’ll start the year in the Texas Rangers’ rotation, but how long will he stay in it? The former NL Cy Young Award winner hasn’t topped 10 outings in a season since 2019. 2019 was a long time ago now. He hasn’t posted a strikeout rate of under 30 percent in a season since 2017, but how much can we reasonably expect from the now-36-year-old?

I’m as hopeful as anyone that we’ll finally see a full season out of deGrom, but I have no idea how you can bet on it with any sort of confidence. DeGrom’s +2500 odds to lead the league in Ks are outstanding, but the risk is massive.

Top Longshot To Lead MLB In Strikeouts

Cole Ragans’ odds may seem long (+2500), but he’s got the ability to put together a breakout season. If he can sustain high strikeout rates, this pick could pay off in a big way.

Ragans was shipped to the Kansas City Royals from the Rangers a couple of years ago in the trade that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Lone Star State. I’d say the deal has worked out quite nicely for both sides. Chapman helped the Rangers win their first World Series title in 2023, while Ragans has gone on to establish himself as the ace of Kansas City’s staff.

Last season’s 29.3 percent strikeout rate was the highest of Ragans’ young career, and he posted a healthy 28.8 percent mark between Texas and Kansas City the season prior. The left-hander may not be quite as dominant on a per-inning basis as some of the other frontrunners like Skubal, Cease, or Skenes, but he can hold his own.

One potential stumbling block is that Kauffman Stadium – Ragans’ home ballpark – historically suppresses strikeouts. That hasn’t been enough to put a huge dent in Ragans’ ability to miss bats, but it is something that may ultimately hamper his ability to challenge some of the other names atop the leaderboard by season’s end.

Strikeouts Leader Predictions

While I understand why Skenes and Crochet are the favorites to lead the league in whiffs, I don’t think we’re getting enough profit potential on either player at their respective odds. As a result, I prefer taking a shot on some of the more established veterans with longer odds, namely Skubal and Cease.

Of this group, I think Cease offers the best combination of likelihood and betting value at +1000. He should have no trouble racking up innings for the Padres (or wherever else he lands via trade), and the lack of workload concerns makes him a compelling candidate. He’s also been able to stay remarkably healthy over the years, which gives Cease a leg up on the competition.

Bet: Dylan Cease (+1000)

Recent Strikeout Leaders

The following is a list of the most recent pitchers to have the most strikeouts in a season: