n=28 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 2nd in strikeouts at 248, 3rd in strikeout-minus-walk rate at 25.1% — 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 29 straight days.
The case in 30 seconds
- 248 2nd in strikeouts at 248, 3rd in strikeout-minus-walk rate at 25.1% on MLB's season leaderboards MLB season leaderboard (the league's own top-10 board of qualified players, not this site's roster)
- 3.76 ERA over 184 innings, with 248 strikeouts, 32 starts and a 1.11 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 184 innings over 32 starts; the same rate to the end of the season means roughly 184. Velocity and innings both have to hold, and neither is guaranteed — this page reports what the measurements say, not what a medical staff knows.
Every claim above, with its source (2)
- 2nd in strikeouts at 248, 3rd in strikeout-minus-walk rate at 25.1% 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 184 innings, with 248 strikeouts, 32 starts and a 1.11 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
- 60 Strikeouts Significant · MILESTONE No. 2 of 3strikeouts chases 248 record 383 — Nolan Ryan, 1973 248projected, 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 →
Situational splits
| Split | IP | ERA | SO | WHIP | AVG against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs RHP | 72.1 | — | 91 | 1.27 | .238 |
| vs LHP | 110.0 | — | 157 | 1.03 | .197 |
| Home | 107.2 | 2.84 | 150 | 1.04 | .201 |
| Away | 76.2 | 5.05 | 98 | 1.21 | .230 |
| Day | 81.2 | 2.42 | 114 | 0.94 | .193 |
| Night | 102.2 | 4.82 | 134 | 1.25 | .229 |
2026 season, MLB Stats API. A split with no plate appearances is omitted rather than shown as zeroes.
32G
32GS
184.1IP
14-8W-L
3.76ERA
1.11WHIP
248K
12.11K/9
0SV
Strikeout chase
| Chase | Current | Pace | Needed from here | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 K | 248 | 248 | done | ACHIEVED |
| 250 K | 248 | 248 | 2 K · — per team game | IMPOSSIBLE |
| 300 K | 248 | 248 | 52 K · — per team game | IMPOSSIBLE |
| 350 K | 248 | 248 | 102 K · — per team game | IMPOSSIBLE |
| 383 K | 248 | 248 | 135 K · — per team game | IMPOSSIBLE |
ERA & WHIP finish lines
| Finish | Current | Required rest-of-season | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-2.00 ERA | 3.76 | — | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.75 ERA | 3.76 | — | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.50 ERA | 3.76 | — | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.00 WHIP | 1.11 | — | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-0.90 WHIP | 1.11 | — | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-25 | Kansas City Royals | W 12-9 | 3.1 | 4 |
| 2026-09-20 | Athletics | W 1-0 | 7.0 | 9 |
| 2026-09-14 | Chicago White Sox | L 3-7 | 5.0 | 7 |
| 2026-09-06 | Detroit Tigers | W 3-2 | 6.0 | 11 |
| 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 |
Recent highlights
▶︎
Gavin Williams' nine strikeouts vs. Rays2026-10-15 · Gavin Williams struck out 9 over 5.0 IP
▶︎
Guardians pitching fans Caminero with high heat2026-10-15 · Gavin Williams came out after 70 pitches, having allowed 2 runs over 5.0 innings
▶︎
Gavin Williams fans 12 in scoreless Game 5 start2026-10-10 · Gavin Williams went 5.2 scoreless with 12 strikeouts
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 87.9 ± 0.72 mph. Ringed dots sit more than one standard deviation under the baseline; last start 87.67 mph (2026-09-25).
No active signals — inside one standard deviation of his own baseline. A trend report, not a diagnosis.