So, we have reviewed pitchers who threw a lot of strikeouts via four-seamers, curveballs and sliders from 2008 to 2024. Now, our focus will move on to another pitch.
Changeup is also used widely in the league. Several pitchers are well-known with their great changeups. Hence, from 2008 to 2024, which pitchers had thrown a lot of strikeouts via their changeups? Again, I checked on the statcast website.
Cole Hamels pitched in the majors from 2006 to 2020. He’s a 4-time All-Star and the 2008 World Series MVP. In his career, he tossed 2698 innings with 2560 strikeouts. For Hamels, changeup is an important pitch arsenal. From 2008 to 2020, he used his changeup to strike out more than 800 batters. In particular, in 2012, his changeup created 100+ strikeouts.
In addition, James Shields pitched in the majors from 2006 to 2018. In those 13 seasons, he threw 2616 innings with 2234 strikeouts. There were 3 times that he struck out 200+ batters in a single season. Mostly, he used his changeup more than 20% of the time in a single season. From 2008 to 2018, he used his changeup to generate 800+ strikeouts. From 2010 to 2012, 100+ strikeouts came from his changeup each season.
Moreover, Max Scherzer, a member of the 3000 strikeout club, is surely a great pitcher and a future Hall of Famer. Changeup isn’t Scherzer’s primary pitch. Nonetheless, his changeup isn’t easy to hit. From 2008 to 2024, Scherzer’s changeups created 600+ strikeouts.
Furthermore, Tim Lincecum is a 2-time Cy Young award winner. He pitched in the majors from 2007 to 2016. Well, he only pitched in the majors for 10 seasons. But his stats are surely memorable. Lincecum tossed 1682 innings and threw 1736 strikeouts. Most of his career, he used his changeup more than 20% of the time in a single season. From 2008 to 2016, Lincecum used his changeup to create 600+ strikeouts.
Finally, let’s take a look at Kyle Hendricks and King Felix. Kyle Hendricks has pitched in the majors for 12 seasons. He now has 1300+ strikeouts in his career. From 2014 to 2024, Hendricks used his changeup to generate 600+ strikeouts. In those 11 seasons, there was only one time that he didn’t use his changeup at least 20% of the time in a single season. King Felix pitched in the majors from 2005 to 2019, tossing 2729.2 innings with 2524 strikeouts. From 2008 to 2019, Felix Hernandez used his changeup to create 600+ strikeouts as well. In particular, he threw 100+ strikeouts via his changeup in 2014.
Looking at the pitchers who effectively use their changeups to generate strikeouts, interestingly, Cole Hamels is the only left-handed pitcher on the list. Additionally, Max Scherzer and Kyle Hendricks are the only 2 pitchers who still pitch in the majors. It’s hard to tell how long they will still pitch in the majors. Nonetheless, it’s certainly worthwhile to see if they can continue throwing strikeouts via their changeups. In particular, Kyle Hendricks is not known as a pitcher who can throw a lot of strikeouts.
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