I have recently been following a baseball topic in the news that has gotten me totally hooked and pretty fired up for the sport even more than I was before.The most interesting story I’ve heard lately was the MLB strikeout record that has been broken – and then broken again – multiple times in the past few years.
I was floored when I heard the new MLB strikeout record was set by Gerrit Cole! It seemed almost too good to be true, yet the numbers were there and it was undeniable – Cole had broken a record that the legendary Nolan Ryan had held for over 25 years.
Seeing the numbers made it all so real and clear – Cole had racked up a whopping 37 strikeouts in a single game! It was an astonishing number that had broken the previous record of Ryan’s 34 strikeouts like it was nothing. It made such a huge impression that it felt like the entire mlb tommy john community was buzzing about the news.
I was in awe of what Cole had accomplished, it really makes you respect the physical and mental abilities these elite level players possess. It was incredible to see a strikeout record like this broken twice in a matter of a few years, it’s not something we see every day when it comes to MLB.
Many people might not have known that Cole’s strikeout record was actually broken a few months before by a member of the Mets pitching staff, Jacob deGrom. He broke Ryan’s record in an August game, with 35 strikeouts, to reach a new high in Major League Baseball history.
This kind of news makes me incredibly excited for baseball and inspired by these amazing feats of athleticism. Not only is it a great story of success and hard work, but it also gives me hope that the same can be achieved in my own life.
Now, this streak of records breaking left me with one thought on my mind. Who will be the next MLB player to break the strikeout record? Not only do I wonder who, but I’m also starting to wonder when. It seems fair to say that with the current likes of Jacob deGrom and Gerrit Cole, the only thing standing in the way of another record breaking season may be the limit of the players themselves.
Well, I guess all that can be done in the meantime is to sit back and watch. Baseball is such an exciting sport – from dramatic homeruns to these incredible strikeouts – and each year we get to experience the pulse racing moments that how young can you go to the mlb only be caused by a sport of this caliber.
Now, as I mentioned before, the MLB strikeout record was broken twice in a matter of a few years – first by Jacob deGrom in August 2020 and then by Gerrit Cole in May 2021. The strikeout record wasn’t the only record that these two players broke this season either.
Both deGrom and Cole achieved a new record for the most strikeouts recorded in a single season, with deGrom reaching 309 strikeouts and Cole reaching 345 strikeouts in 2021. This is amazing and serves as a testament to the hard work and dedication these athletes put into their game.
If that wasn’t enough, deGrom also made history with 5 straight ten strikeout games in May of 2021, making him the first Major League Baseball pitcher to do so. This is an incredible feat that could be seen as a sign of things to come from this MLB star.
On the other hand, Gerrit Cole had another impressive record broken this year too with his consecutive 6 straight games of at least 10 strikeouts, surpassing the previous record created by Pedro Martinez. If that wasn’t already enough, Cole went on to 7 games in a row with at least 10 strikeouts – another impressive record set by this amazing athlete.
Breaking records has been a common theme with MLB players this season. As impressive as the new strikeout records were, the record for the most home runs in a season by an American League team was also broken this year. The “Bomba Squad” of the Minnesota Twins made history, smashing an impressive 307 home runs this season.
I also heard the Chicago White Sox recorded the most extra-base hits in a season by an American League team, obliterating the previous record of 450 set by the ’96 Baltimore Orioles with 455 in 2021. It is amazing to see so many new records being broken in one season and as a fan, I am excited to see what the future holds for baseball.