When postseason baseball begins, the biggest stars tend to shine the brightest.
Whether it's in the wild-card, divisional series, championship series, or the World Series, MLB teams lean on their aces to set the tone and make life difficult for opposing batters. And when a star pitcher gets going, they tend to rack up strikeouts and frustrate batters in the process.
The best of the best strike out batters at record rates, rewriting the history books in the process. Here is a breakdown of the single-game strikeout records held by pitchers in MLB playoff games.
MORE: Full guide to the number of games, rules and more in the MLB wild-card round
What is the record for most strikeouts in an MLB playoff game?
The record for most strikeouts in an MLB playoff game is 17, set by Bob Gibson in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series.
Gibson's performance fueled the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-0 win.
Most strikeouts in an MLB playoff game
A total of 14 MLB pitchers have recorded 14 or more strikeouts in an MLB playoff game, the most recent being Detroit Tigers' ace Tarik Skubal, who recorded 14 strikeouts in Game 1 of the 2025 wild-card round.
| Rank | Player | Team | Strikeouts | Date |
| 1. | Bob Gibson | Cardinals | 17 | Oct. 2, 1968 |
| 2. | Kevin Brown | Padres | 16 | Sept. 29, 1998 |
| 3. | Gerrit Cole | Astros | 15 | Oct. 5, 2019 |
| Roger Clemens | Yankees | 15 | Oct. 14, 2000 | |
| Livan Hernandez | Marlins | 15 | Oct. 12, 1997 | |
| Mike Mussina | Orioles | 15 | Oct. 11, 1997 | |
| Sandy Koufax | Dodgers | 15 | Oct. 2, 1962 | |
| 8. | Tarik Skubal | Tigers | 14 | Sept. 30, 2025 |
| Tim Lincecum | Giants | 14 | Oct. 7, 2010 | |
| Mike Scott | Astros | 14 | Oct. 8, 1986 | |
| Mike Boddicker | Orioles | 14 | Oct. 6, 1983 | |
| John Candelaria | Pirates | 14 | Oct. 7, 1975 | |
| Joe Coleman | Tigers | 14 | Oct. 10, 1972 | |
| Carl Erskine | Dodgers | 14 | Oct. 2, 1953 |
Who has the most strikeouts in a World Series game?
Bob Gibson has the most strikeouts in a World Series game with 17. Gibson struck out 17 batters in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series.
MORE: The full history of Yankees vs. Red Sox in the postseason
Most combined strikeouts by both teams in a playoff game
The record for most combined strikeouts in a playoff game is 42. The Houston Astros (22) and Seattle Mariners (20) combined for 42 strikeouts in Game 3 of the 2022 ALDS on Oct. 15, 2022.
Houston won the pitcher's duel, 1-0.
MORE: Most home runs in an MLB Game, from Lou Gehrig to Nick Kurtz
Youngest players to record 10 or more strikeouts in a playoff game
- John Candelaria, 14 strikeouts (21 years, 335 days)
- Livan Hernandez, 15 strikeouts (22 years, 234 days)
- Dave Righetti, 10 strikeouts (22 years, 314 days)
Oldest players to record 10 or more strikeouts in a playoff game
- Nolan Ryan, 12 strikeouts (39 years, 256 days)
- Justin Verlander, 11 strikeouts (39 years, 241 days)
- Grover Alexander, 10 strikeouts (39 days, 219 days)