Cleveland Indians pitchers making strikeout history in 2017

The Cleveland Indians pitching staff is having a historic season and could set multiple strikeout records.

The Cleveland Indians have had a season for the ages in 2017.

They, of course, had a record-breaking 22-game winning streak that ended just last week. They have also passed the Houston Astros for the best record in the American League and have a chance at winning 100 games for just the third time in franchise history (1954, 1995).

In addition to these potential records, the Indians have a chance at both setting and equalling a couple other marks this season thanks to their historic pitching staff.

Lost in the shuffle of Thursday’s game when the Indians had an amazing walk-off win for their 22nd in a row, they broke another record: most strikeouts by a pitching staff in American League history.

Josh Tomlin set the mark, which was previously held by the 2014 Cleveland Indians.

The Indians broke the mark with over two weeks left in the season and now have their sights set on the major league record, which is 1510 strikeouts, set by the 2016 Los Angeles Dodgers. The Indians currently sit at 1483 strikeouts…with 12 games to play. Safe to say, the Dodgers’ record is going down.

In fact, the Indians are on pace for over 1600 strikeouts as a team this year and as of now, could become the first pitching staff in baseball history to average 10 strikeouts per nine innings (they are currently at 10.01 K/9).

The Indians also have an outside chance at becoming just the fourth team in major league history to have three pitchers record 200 strikeouts in a season. Corey Kluber (252 strikeouts) and Carlos Carrasco (208) already have eclipsed the mark, while Trevor Bauer currently sits at 183 strikeouts with likely two more starts to go.

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Bauer is averaging just over six strikeouts per start so he’ll need to have big games to get the 17 he still needs but he has gotten 17 or more strikeouts in a two-start period twice this season, so don’t rule anything out.

If Bauer is able to reach the 200 strikeout plateau, the 2017 Indians would join the 1967 Twins, the 1969 Astros and the 2013 Tigers as the only members of that club. It would also make them just the second playoff team to have three 200 strikeout pitchers, after the 2013 Tigers.

The last crazy strikeout feat the Indians could still accomplish is having five pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched and a strikeout rate of 10 or more per nine innings. Currently, they have three such pitchers (Kluber, Bauer, and Mike Clevinger).

Carrasco is just short with a 9.97 K/9 rate but still has at least one more start to raise that number. Danny Salazar is just 4 1/3 innings short of reaching the 100 inning mark, and could potentially do it this week when he makes another start.

Next: Indians top storylines as postseason approaches

The 2017 Cleveland Indians’ regular season will certainly be remembered for the 22-game winning streak (and rightfully so), but it will also go down as having the greatest pitching staff in team history, and possibly one of the greatest in baseball history, at least in the strikeout department.