n=31 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 228, 2nd in strikeout-minus-walk rate at 25.7% — 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 3 straight days.
The case in 30 seconds
- 228 2nd in strikeouts at 228, 2nd in strikeout-minus-walk rate at 25.7% on MLB's season leaderboards MLB season leaderboard (the league's own top-10 board of qualified players, not this site's roster)
- 3.78 ERA over 169 innings, with 228 strikeouts, 29 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 169 innings over 29 starts; the same rate to the end of the season means roughly 185. 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: at Minnesota Twins. 22 more to reach 250 SO.
Every claim above, with its source (2)
- 2nd in strikeouts at 228, 2nd in strikeout-minus-walk rate at 25.7% 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 169 innings, with 228 strikeouts, 29 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
- 61 Strikeouts Significant · MILESTONE No. 2 of 3strikeouts chases 228 record 383 — Nolan Ryan, 1973 250projected, 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
at Minnesota Twins
Target Field · 4:10 p.m. ET
Opposite Connor Prielipp
Situational splits
| Split | IP | ERA | SO | WHIP | AVG against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs RHP | 64.1 | — | 86 | 1.34 | .247 |
| vs LHP | 103.0 | — | 142 | 0.96 | .190 |
| Home | 95.2 | 3.01 | 134 | 1.06 | .205 |
| Away | 73.1 | 4.79 | 94 | 1.15 | .223 |
| Day | 74.2 | 2.65 | 105 | 0.98 | .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.
29G
29GS
169.0IP
13-7W-L
3.78ERA
1.09WHIP
228K
12.14K/9
0SV
Strikeout chase
| Chase | Current | Pace | Needed from here | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 K | 228 | 250 | done | ACHIEVED |
| 250 K | 228 | 250 | 22 K · 8.1 per outing over 2.7 left | NEAR PACE |
| 300 K | 228 | 250 | 72 K · 26.7 per outing over 2.7 left | IMPOSSIBLE |
| 350 K | 228 | 250 | 122 K · 45.2 per outing over 2.7 left | IMPOSSIBLE |
| 383 K | 228 | 250 | 155 K · 57.4 per outing over 2.7 left | IMPOSSIBLE |
ERA & WHIP finish lines
| Finish | Current | Required rest-of-season | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-2.00 ERA | 3.78 | -16.83 over about 16 innings | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.75 ERA | 3.78 | -19.72 over about 16 innings | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.50 ERA | 3.78 | -22.61 over about 16 innings | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.00 WHIP | 1.09 | -0.00 | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-0.90 WHIP | 1.09 | -1.16 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-06 | 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 |
| 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' dominant outing against the Tigers2026-09-06 · Gavin Williams struck out 11 over 6.0 IP
▶︎
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
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 87.8 ± 0.76 mph. Ringed dots sit more than one standard deviation under the baseline; last start 87.15 mph (2026-09-06).
No active signals — inside one standard deviation of his own baseline. A trend report, not a diagnosis.