San Diego Padres' Yu Darvish Makes MLB History By Extending Wild Strikeout Streak

Yu Darvish recorded three strikeouts against the Houston Astros on Monday, adding onto a streak that has lasted through his days with the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres.

Sep 16, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish (11) pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Petco Park. / Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

Yu Darvish has been a reliable strikeout machine ever since he joined MLB in 2012, and the San Diego Padres veteran took that habit to new, historic heights on Monday.

The 38-year-old right-hander tossed 6.0 scoreless innings against the Houston Astros, allowing just three hits and two walks in the Padres' eventual 3-1 win. Darvish may have only recorded three strikeouts, but it was still more than enough to earn him a spot in the history books.

Darvish has now notched multiple strikeouts in 280 consecutive games, dating all the way back to his big league debut 12 years ago. According to OptaSTATS, that is the longest streak by any player at any point in their career since the modern era began in 1901.

Including yesterday, the @Padres' Yu Darvish has recorded multiple strikeouts in all 280 games of his MLB career.

That is the longest streak by any player at any point in their career in the modern era (since 1901). pic.twitter.com/y7lOjF6hXJ

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) September 17, 2024

If it weren't for a groin strain and right elbow inflammation that kept him sidelined from May 30 through Sept. 4, Darvish likely would have reached this point in his record-breaking streak much earlier. Still, he has managed to go 6-3 with a 3.21 ERA, 1.114 WHIP and 1.8 WAR across 14 starts in 2024.

Darvish topped 200 strikeouts in each of his first two MLB seasons, leading the league with 277 in 2013. He finished runner-up in AL Cy Young voting with the Texas Rangers that year and made his third straight All-Star appearance in 2014, but missed all of 2015 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Upon his return to action in 2016, Darvish came through with 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 17 appearances. Darvish reached the 200-strikeout mark again in 2018 and 2019, then racked up 93 Ks in the COVID-shortened 2020 season en route to another second place finish in NL Cy Young voting.

Darvish finished 2021 with 199 strikeouts, then posted 197 in 2022.

Since the start of 2012, Darvish's 1,994 strikeouts rank sixth in all of baseball only behind Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, Gerrit Cole, Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander. Scherzer and Sale are the only ones on that list who have averaged more strikeouts per nine innings than Darvish, however.

Darvish is on pace to make two more starts before the end of the regular season, then it remains to be seen where he fits into San Diego's rotation in the playoffs. While he is 4-6 with a 4.19 ERA in his postseason career, Darvish did go 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA in his four playoff starts with the Padres in 2022.

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