n=49 near this checkpoint
Why he matters right now
Gavin Williams is top-10 in the majors in strikeouts and strikeout-minus-walk rate
He is 3rd in strikeouts at 217, 3rd in strikeout-minus-walk rate at 25.4% — placements on MLB's own season boards, which rank every QUALIFIED pitcher in the sport rather than the few dozen this site tracks. Qualified is MLB's own bar, and it is the reason a part-season player with a big number is not on these boards at all.
This has been his headline for 18 straight days.
The case in 30 seconds
- 217 3rd in strikeouts at 217, 3rd in strikeout-minus-walk rate at 25.4% on MLB's season leaderboards MLB season leaderboard (the league's own top-10 board of qualified players, not this site's roster)
- 3.81 ERA over 163 innings, with 217 strikeouts, 28 starts and a 1.09 WHIP snapshot pitching board — the union of MLB's top-10 pitching boards, then MLB's 1.0 IP per team game rule applied; not the league's full qualified pool
The honest caveat
The open question is workload. He is at 163 innings over 28 starts; the same rate to the end of the season means roughly 191. Velocity and innings both have to hold, and neither is guaranteed — this page reports what the measurements say, not what a medical staff knows.
What to watch next
Next up: vs Toronto Blue Jays. 33 more to reach 250 SO.
Every claim above, with its source (2)
- 3rd in strikeouts at 217, 3rd in strikeout-minus-walk rate at 25.4% on MLB's season leaderboards MLB season leaderboard (the league's own top-10 board of qualified players, not this site's roster)
- ERA over 163 innings, with 217 strikeouts, 28 starts and a 1.09 WHIP snapshot pitching board — the union of MLB's top-10 pitching boards, then MLB's 1.0 IP per team game rule applied; not the league's full qualified pool
The evidence
Tracked on Live Chases
- 62-1 Strikeouts Significant · MILESTONE No. 3 of 3strikeouts chases 217 record 383 — Nolan Ryan, 1973 255projected, against 300
The score is an editorial score, not a measurement on a common scale. The rank above is this player's position on his own category's board — the ordering the site stands behind. See all tracked chases →
What to watch next
vs Toronto Blue Jays
Progressive Field · 1:10 p.m. ET
Opposite José Soriano
Situational splits
| Split | IP | ERA | SO | WHIP | AVG against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs RHP | 61.2 | — | 83 | 1.35 | .251 |
| vs LHP | 99.2 | — | 134 | 0.95 | .188 |
| Home | 89.2 | 3.01 | 123 | 1.05 | .205 |
| Away | 73.1 | 4.79 | 94 | 1.15 | .223 |
| Day | 68.2 | 2.62 | 94 | 0.96 | .198 |
| Night | 94.1 | 4.67 | 123 | 1.19 | .224 |
2026 season, MLB Stats API. A split with no plate appearances is omitted rather than shown as zeroes.
28G
28GS
163.0IP
13-7W-L
3.81ERA
1.09WHIP
217K
11.98K/9
0SV
Strikeout chase
| Chase | Current | Pace | Needed from here | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 K | 217 | 255 | done | ACHIEVED |
| 250 K | 217 | 255 | 33 K · 6.7 per outing over 4.9 left | ON PACE |
| 300 K | 217 | 255 | 83 K · 16.9 per outing over 4.9 left | EXTREME |
| 350 K | 217 | 255 | 133 K · 27.1 per outing over 4.9 left | IMPOSSIBLE |
| 383 K | 217 | 255 | 166 K · 33.9 per outing over 4.9 left | IMPOSSIBLE |
ERA & WHIP finish lines
| Finish | Current | Required rest-of-season | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-2.00 ERA | 3.81 | -8.41 over about 28 innings | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.75 ERA | 3.81 | -10.09 over about 28 innings | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.50 ERA | 3.81 | -11.78 over about 28 innings | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.00 WHIP | 1.09 | 0.47 | EXTREME |
| Sub-0.90 WHIP | 1.09 | -0.20 | IMPOSSIBLE |
Recent game log
Derived nightly from the snapshot ledger — each row is the difference between consecutive days; multi-day rows are labeled.
| Date | Opp | Result | IP | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-20 | San Francisco Giants | W 5-2 | 5.2 | 11 |
| 2026-08-14 | San Diego Padres | L 5-7 | 4.1 | 5 |
| 2026-08-08 | Chicago White Sox | L 3-6 | 5.2 | 7 |
| 2026-08-02 | Arizona Diamondbacks | W 5-0 | 5.2 | 10 |
| 2026-07-28 | Cincinnati Reds | W 6-5 | 7.0 | 12 |
| 2026-07-23 | Minnesota Twins | L 1-3 | 7.0 | 11 |
| 2026-07-18 | Pittsburgh Pirates | L 1-7 | 6.0 | 11 |
| 2026-07-08 | Minnesota Twins | L 5-6 | 7.0 | 11 |
Recent highlights
▶︎
Gavin Williams' 13 strikeouts2026-09-01 · Gavin Williams allowed two hits over 7.0 innings (13 K)
▶︎
Gavin Williams' 11 strikeouts2026-08-20 · Gavin Williams struck out 11 over 5.2 IP — a season high, past his previous 5
▶︎
Gavin Williams' immaculate inning 2026-07-23 · Gavin Williams threw an IMMACULATE INNING (inning 4: 3 K on 9 pitches)
Lahman + Retrosheet context
How this season fits history
Chase history
Stuff watch
Sweeper velocity, start by start
Every start's average against his own trailing baseline of 87.7 ± 0.88 mph. Ringed dots sit more than one standard deviation under the baseline; last start 88.45 mph (2026-09-01).
No active signals — inside one standard deviation of his own baseline. A trend report, not a diagnosis.