Welcome to the Paul Skenes era.
After debuting last May, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander established himself as the best pitcher in baseball. He struck out 170 batters in 133 innings, winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2024.
Skenes didn’t pitch enough to finish as MLB’s strikeout leader, but he enters as the clear MLB odds favorite to do so in 2025.
MLB Strikeout Leader Odds 2025
| Player | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Skenes | Pirates | +350 |
| Garrett Crochet | Red Sox | +600 |
| Tarik Skubal | Tigers | +700 |
| Dylan Cease | Padres | +900 |
| Blake Snell | Dodgers | +900 |
| Zack Wheeler | Phillies | +1400 |
| Logan Gilbert | Mariners | +2000 |
| Jacob deGrom | Rangers | +2000 |
| Hunter Greene | Reds | +2500 |
| Cole Ragans | Royals | +2500 |
| Chris Sale | Braves | +3000 |
| Pablo Lopez | Twins | +3000 |
| Freddy Peralta | Brewers | +3000 |
| Corbin Burnes | Diamondbacks | +3000 |
| Tyler Glasnow | Dodgers | +4000 |
Strikeout Leader Betting Favorite: Paul Skenes
Based on the latest MLB betting lines, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes is a +350 favorite to lead the majors in strikeouts during the 2025 season. That gives him an implied probability of 22.2% entering his second MLB campaign.
However, Skenes didn’t lead MLB in strikeouts in 2024. Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal paced the majors with 228 strikeouts, narrowly besting Atlanta Braves lefty Chris Sale’s 225 strikeouts. Both pitchers won the Cy Young Award in their respective leagues.
Projections believe the strikeout leader market will be competitive. OOPSY, a projection system at FanGraphs, has Skubal leading MLB with 230 strikeouts this year.
Zack Wheeler (222), Dylan Cease (221), and Paul Skenes (220) are not far behind.
MLB Strikeout Leader Predictions for 2025
Due to pitchers’ volatility, particularly from a health standpoint, the strikeout leader market can provide a good opportunity to target players down the board.
Skubal was +3500 last preseason to lead MLB in strikeouts, with Spencer Strider (+150) opening as the favorite.
In hindsight, Skubal was an obvious target in this market last year. He was the most popular AL Cy Young odds preseason bet after posting a 32.9% strikeout rate in 2023.
Next year, the same thing could be said about Seattle Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert (+2000).
Gilbert finished sixth in Cy Young voting last season, striking out 220 batters in 208 2/3 innings. He ranked fifth with a 22.8% K-BB rate.
Most projection systems have Gilbert finishing in the top five in strikeouts this year, including ZiPS, which has him ending up in fourth with 190 whiffs. At 20/1, he’s not being priced adequately compared to his peers.
I also like backing Roki Sasaki (+10000) as an intriguing long shot in his first MLB season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Japanese right-hander is the clear NL Rookie of the Year odds favorite, but what if he dominates in his debut season like Skenes?
Sasaki struck out 505 batters in 394 2/3 innings in his NPB career. He has tremendous potential at 23 years old.
ZiPS has an aggressive projection of 204 strikeouts in 167 innings for Sasaki this year, putting him second behind Cease (207). Sasaki will unlikely have a significant enough workload to threaten as the strikeout leader, but it’s worth a flier at this price.
MLB Strikeout Leader Best Bets
- Logan Gilbert (+2000)
- Roki Sasaki (+10000)
MLB Strikeout Leaders Year-by-Year
| Year | Player | Strikeouts | Preseason Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tarik Skubal | 228 | +3500 |
| 2023 | Spencer Strider | 281 | +900 |
| 2022 | Gerrit Cole | 257 | +475 |
| 2021 | Robbie Ray | 248 | +2500 |
| 2020 | Shane Bieber | 122 | +1500 |
| 2019 | Gerrit Cole | 326 | N/A |
| 2018 | Max Scherzer | 300 | +400 |
| 2017 | Chris Sale | 308 | +1000 |
| 2016 | Max Scherzer | 284 | +550 |
| 2015 | Clayton Kershaw | 301 | +500 |
| 2014 | David Price | 271 | N/A |
Who led MLB in Strikeouts During the 2024 Season?
Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal led MLB with 228 strikeouts during the 2024 season.
What is the Single-Season Record for Most Strikeouts?
Matt Kilroy holds the single-season record for most strikeouts with 513 in 1886. The modern record (post-1900) for most strikeouts was set by Nolan Ryan, who struck out 383 batters in 1973.
Related Articles
MLB Betting Lines at the Sportsbook
BetMGM allows you to get closer to the diamond with updated MLB betting lines for each game.
From April through October, you can place live wagers during games. Whether you want to hedge against a position on the Chicago White Sox, increase your investment on the Los Angeles Dodgers, or place a new bet on the Minnesota Twins, live betting is a unique way to add more excitement and potential payouts!
Sign in to your account today — or, if you don’t have an account, sign up today with a sportsbook welcome bonus — to start betting. And don’t forget to check updated sportsbook bonuses and promos each day of the year.
