Which pitchers have notched the most postseason strikeouts for every team?

Left-hander Andy Pettitte was a core member of the Yankees dynasty in the 1990s, thus, was constantly taking the mound for big starts in October. Pettitte made 40 playoff starts for New York, pitching to a 3.76 ERA and earning 18 postseason victories. He struck out 167 hitters in 251.1 innings, and with the closest current Yankee, Gerrit Cole, sitting at 57 heading into this October, this record won't be broken anytime soon. 

Righty Pedro Martinez threw more than 79 playoff innings for the Red Sox across four different postseasons, and was excellent in almost all of them. Martinez turned in a 3.40 October ERA across 13 outings for Boston, while striking out more than a hitter/inning and delivering a 6-2 postseason record. He was a member of the Red Sox 2004 World Series winning team, and his 80 playoff strikeouts remain a club record to this day. 

Jim Palmer is the most accomplished pitcher in the history of the Baltimore Orioles franchise, so it should come as no surprise to see him sitting atop this list for the O's. Palmer spent his entire career in Baltimore, and took the ball 17 times for the team in the postseason. In those 17 outings, he dominated to the tune of a 2.61 ERA across 124.1 innings, while punching out 90 hitters and allowing only 10 home runs. He earned eight October victories, and was arguably the primary reason Baltimore won World Series titles in three different decades. 

The Rays postseason strikeout leader is right-hander Tyler Glasnow, which is somewhat surprising because he really did not pitch all that well for the team in October. In 10 playoff starts for Tampa Bay, Glasnow went 2-6 with a 5.72 ERA, while issuing 25 free passes and serving up 10 long balls in 45.2 innings. He did strike out 61 hitters, but he'll be the first to tell you he was not at his best when the Rays needed him most. 

Dominican Republic-born righty Juan Guzman burst on the scene with the Blue Jays in 1991 and wasted little time establishing himself as one of the game's brightest young stars. He was narrowly edged by Minnesota's Chuck Knoblauch in the Rookie of the Year voting that year, but the best days were still ahead for Guzman. His Blue Jays reached the postseason in each of his first three seasons, which gave him ample opportunities under the sport's brightest lights. In eight playoff starts with Toronto, he went 5-1 with a 2.44 ERA in 51.2 innings. Guzman was a huge part of the Blue Jays winning back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993, and his 41 October punchouts remain the club's all-time benchmark. 

Charles Nagy spent 13 of his 14 Major League seasons in Cleveland, and as a member of the Indians in the mid-late 90s, he was able to pitch in the playoffs in five consecutive seasons. In 15 postseason outings for the Indians, the Bridgeport, CT native went 3-4 with a 4.46 ERA across 84.2 innings. Those numbers don't exactly wow you, but his 55 October strikeouts still narrowly edge Orel Hershiser for the team's record. 

The fact that the White Sox all-time postseason strikeout leader is a guy who hasn't thrown a Major League pitch in well over 100 years feels like a good indication of where this team is at the moment. Righty Eddie Cicotte made postseason runs with Chicago in both 1917 and 1919, and delivered a 2.42 ERA across 44.2 innings. He struck out 20 hitters against only seven walks, and helped Chicago win the World Series in 1917. 

The Royals are the first team on this list whose postseason strikeout leader(s) is not a starting pitcher. Kansas City won back-to-back American League pennants in 2014 and 2015 and a huge part of the reason why was their utterly dominant relief corps. Righty Wade Davis failed as a starting pitcher early in his career but coming out of the bullpen was an entirely different story. He struck out 38 hitters in 25 innings during the Royals two deep October runs, while allowing just one earned run. His teammate, Kelvin Herrera, was nearly just as good. In 28.2 innings the hard-throwing right-hander also struck out 38 men, while pitching to a 1.26 ERA and surrendering just a .202 batting average against. 

Walter Johnson played his entire career with the Washington Senators who subsequently moved to Minnesota to become the team we now know as the Minnesota Twins. And the fact that he is still the franchise's all-time leader in postseason strikeouts is no doubt something that the organization would like to change sooner rather than later. Johnson made two playoff runs with the Senators, pitching to a 2.16 ERA in 50 innings across six outings, while punching out 35 hitters. 

Justin Verlander is an absolute lock for Cooperstown when he ultimately decided to call it quits. While we currently know him as the two-time World Series-winning ace of the Houston Astros, Verlander spent the first part of his career as the face of the Detroit Tigers. He made five trips to the playoffs with the Tigers and helped win two American League pennants--in 2006 and 2012. All told, Verlander took the ball in October 16 times for Detroit, striking out well over a batter/inning and earning seven postseason victories. His 112 playoff strikeouts are the most in club history, and it is not even remotely close. 

Righty John Lackey is one of only a handful of Major League players that have won World Series rings with three different teams. That's obviously a tremendous accomplishment, and not to take anything away from what he did in Boston or Chicago, but I think it's fair to say Lackey delivered his best years early in his career with the Angels. During his rookie season, Anaheim cruised through the American League playoffs before ultimately defeating the Giants in the Fall Classic, and from there, Lackey just continued to develop a knack for coming up big in important games. In 14 total playoff outings with the Angels, he pitched to a 3.12 ERA in 78 innings, and his 53 postseason punchouts remain the organization's benchmark. 

Chief Bender never threw a pitch in Oakland as he spent his entire Athletics career on the opposite coast while the team called Philadelphia home. Bender's A's teams were generally pretty strong, and he embarked on five separate postseason runs with the organization. In 10 postseason starts, he went 6-4 with a 2.44 ERA, while impressively helping to lead Philadelphia to three World Series titles in a four year span. His 59 playoff strikeouts narrowly edge George Earnshaw and Dave Stewart for the franchise record. 

The Astros are currently in the midst of the greatest era in club history, and with the team closing in on yet another American League West division crown, they'll soon have the opportunity to build on what they've already accomplished. Houston's 2017 trade for righty Justin Verlander stands out as the turning point for the team, as the veteran has been absolute money throughout his Astros career. Verlander has helped lead the Astros to four American League pennants and two World Series titles already, and his 132 October punch outs are easily the most in team history. 

Randy Johnson was arguably the most intimidating pitcher to ever take a big league mound, and in Major League history only Nolan Ryan struck out more hitters. The 'Big Unit' enjoyed tremendous success---and a World Series title---later in his career with the Diamondbacks, but for the sake of this gallery, let's talk about what he did in Seattle. Johnson made the playoffs just twice with the Mariners, and while he only made five postseason outings with the team, he sure left his mark. In 38.1 innings he blew away 45 hitters, and he even threw a complete game in the 1997 ALDS.

The Texas Ranger's all-time strikeout leaders are a pair of hurlers who were teammates on Texas' 2010 American League pennant-winning team. Southpaw Cliff Lee's stay in the Lone Star State was short and sweet, but during his one October with the Rangers he was absolutely electric. In five starts, he worked to a 2.78 ERA with an 0.81 WHIP, while earning three victories and striking out an eye opening 47 hitters in 35.2 innings. Righty Colby Lewis was even better that postseason, pitching to a 1.71 ERA in four starts while surrendering just a .176 batting average against. Lewis would go on to pitch in three more postseasons for the Rangers, accumulating 47 total strikeouts to tie Lee for the franchise record. 

The Mets have been a pitching rich team throughout their history, but one hurler clearly stands above the rest in terms of what he was able to accomplish with the organization. Righty Tom Seaver came up with New York in 1967 and instantly became a star. He's the Mets all-time leader in starts, wins, innings, strikeouts, and complete games, and it should come as no surprise to learn he also holds the club record in postseason punch outs. Seaver led New York on two postseason runs---both of which ended in National League pennants. He made seven October starts for the Mets, earning three wins and striking out 46 hitters in 53.2 innings. Today there is a statue of him outside of Citi Field commemorating what he meant to the organization and celebrating the franchise's 1969 World Series title.

Southpaw Cole Hamels is currently the Phillies postseason strikeout leader, but if we have this conversation a month from now that will likely no longer be the case. Hamels pitched for Philadelphia in five straight Octobers from '07-'11, and more often than not was excellent. In 13 total postseason starts for the Phillies, he pitched to a 3.06 ERA and struck out 77 hitters in 81.2 innings. Hamels helped lead Philadelphia to a World Series championship in 2008, and earlier that postseason was named the MVP of the NLCS. His spot in Phillies lore is obviously secure, but thanks to two straight deep October runs, Zack Wheeler is on the brink of taking this record away from him. The righty has dominated in each of the last two postseasons, and heading into this October is just 10 punch outs away from surpassing Hamels. 

The Atlanta Braves were annual October participants for more than a decade, which gave the longtime pitchers on their elite staff countless opportunities to perform on the postseason stage. Right-hander John Smoltz was one of those guys, and it's incredible to think about the fact that he threw 207 playoff innings for the Braves--essentially an entire additional season's worth of work. In those 207 innings he set 194 hitters down by way of the K which is easily the most in Atlanta's storied history. 

The tail end of Stephen Strasburg's career unfortunately was completely derailed by injuries, but at his peak the hard-throwing right-hander was among the best pitchers in our sport. The Nationals qualified for the playoffs three times during Strasburg's tenure, and honestly he belongs in the team's Hall of Fame for the performances he delivered when the games mattered most. In nine October outings (eight starts), Strasburg earned six victories and pitched to a stellar 1.46 ERA. He struck out a jaw-dropping 71 hitters in 55.1 innings and was the leading force behind Washington's run to a World Series title in 2019. 

Postseason appearances have been few and far between for the Marlins, so it is not surprising to learn their playoff strikeout leader did all of his October work for the team 21 years ago. Righty Josh Beckett had already established himself as one of the National League's better young starting pitchers when Miami made the playoffs in 2003, but he completely took his game up a notch that postseason. In six outings (five starts), Beckett turned in a 2.11 ERA with a 0.77 WHIP. He allowed just a .145 batting average against and struck out 47 hitters in 42.2 innings, while playing a leading role in the Marlins 2nd World Series championship. 

Righty Adam Wainwright recently concluded a nearly two decade long career in St. Louis, and he'll undoubtedly be remembered as one of the best and most beloved Cardinals of all time. A large part of the reason for that is the way he consistently stepped up when the lights were the brightest, as evidenced by the tremendous numbers he routinely put up in the postseason. In 29 career October outings (16 starts), Wainwright pitched to a 2.83 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP. He earned four saves--all of which came during the Cardinals run to a World Series title in 2006---and four wins, while tossing 114.1 innings and striking out an impressive 123 hitters. 

Righty Jake Arrieta began his career as a middling back of the rotation type starter in Baltimore, but his career trajectory dramatically changed when he got to Chicago in 2013. The Cubs were able to unlock a significantly different version of Arrieta, and then were the ones to reap the benefits for years to come. Arrieta made three postseason runs with Chicago between '15-'17, and was consistently the team's best pitcher in October. In nine total starts, he delivered a 3.08 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP, while striking out 66 hitters in 52.2 innings. He was a huge piece of Chicago's 2016 World Series winning team, and he'll forever be remembered fondly in the Windy City. 

The Brewers have consistently been the class of the NL Central of late, but I'd be willing to guess right-hander Brandon Woodruff was not the first name you thought of as it pertained to their entry on this list. The Tupelo, MS native has pitched in Milwaukee since 2017, and has seemingly been one of the National League's most underrated hurlers throughout his career. He's made eight postseason appearances for the Brewers (four starts), and impressed, working to a 3.18 ERA with an 0.85 WHIP across 28.1 innings. His 40 October strikeouts are the most in club history by a wide margin. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of baseball's most historic franchises, but their record for postseason strikeouts is a relatively modest 33. Right-hander Doug Drabek holds that mark, and while the Victoria, TX native played for other teams during his career, his best years were clearly in western Pennsylvania. Drabek led the Bucs to the playoffs in three straight seasons from '90-'92, and was absolute money in October in all three campaigns. In seven total starts, he turned in a stellar 2.05 ERA to go along with a 1.12 WHIP, while punching out 33 hitters in 48.1 frames. 

Lefty Don Gullett spent the first seven seasons of his career in Cincinnati and was a critically underrated part of the 'Big Reds Machine' in the 1970's. Pitching for a team that was consistently among the sport's best gave Gullett a plethora of October opportunities, and he generally took full advantage. In 78.1 postseason innings with Cincinnati, Gullett earned four victories and two saves, while most notably for the sake of this gallery, striking out 50 hitters. He earned back-to-back World Series rings with the Reds in 1975 and 1976. 

Left-hander Clayton Kershaw has spent the last 17 years putting together one of the most impressive starting pitcher resumes in the history of the sport. He's a three time Cy Young award winner, an MVP winner, a ten time all-star, and a World Series champion. And he's also one of only two hurlers to ever strike out 200 or more hitters in the postseason. Kershaw's overall playoff numbers are not reflective of the pitcher he's been in the regular season, as his 13-13 record and 4.49 ERA obviously leave something to be desired. But that will do little to tarnish his Hall of Fame legacy, and the 213 strikeouts he's collected in 194.1 October innings are clearly noteworthy. 

While Kershaw often struggled in the postseason, the same cannot be said about his longtime NL West rival, Madison Bumgarner. The big lefty from Hickory, NC debuted for the Giants in 2009, and in short order would become one of most accomplished playoff pitchers of all time. Bumgarner took the mound in October 16 times for San Francisco (14 starts), and pitched to an excellent 2.11 ERA with an 0.90 WHIP. He surrendered just a .201 batting average against in the postseason, earned eight victories, a save, and punched out 87 hitters in 102.1 innings. Bumgarner was the driving force behind three San Francisco World Series-winning teams, and they should honestly build a statue of him outside of Oracle Park.

Righty Kevin Brown spent just one season in San Diego, so the fact that he's the Padres all-time postseason strikeout leader is probably something the club would like to change. That said, it's important to remember just how dominant Brown really was in October of 1998. In six outings for the Padres, he pitched to a 2.52 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP, while tossing a complete game shutout, holding opponents to a .178 batting average, and striking out 46 men in 39.1 innings. San Diego was unable to take their magical postseason run all the way as they ultimately fell to the Yankees in the World Series, but that year is obviously one Friars fans still remember fondly. 

The Rockies have not exactly been perpetual contenders, and the greatest era for baseball in Denver undoubtedly coincided with right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez' tenure with the team. The righty spent five and a half seasons with Colorado, and helped the team reach the postseason twice. In five total October starts for the club, Jimenez pitched to a 3.54 ERA across 28 innings, while striking out 24 hitters. He was a key contributor on the only Rockies team to ever win a National League pennant in 2007. 

The Arizona Diamondbacks rode a pair of veteran hurlers all the way to a World Series victory in 2001, and it's no surprise that the duo sit one and two on the team's all-time postseason strikeout list. Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson were both incredibly dominant for Arizona that October, but it's Schilling that edges out the 'Big Unit' by a single K for the team's record. In seven total playoff starts for the Diamondbacks, the right-hander pitched to a 1.14 ERA across 55.1 innings, while striking out 63 hitters and earning four victories.