Yu Darvish has been a consistent strikeout force since joining MLB in 2012, and the San Diego Padres veteran reached new, historic levels on Monday. The 38-year-old right-hander pitched six scoreless innings against the Houston Astros, allowing just three hits and two walks in the Padres’ 3-1 victory. Though he only tallied three strikeouts, it was enough to etch his name in the record books.
Darvish has now recorded multiple strikeouts in 280 consecutive games, a streak stretching back to his MLB debut 12 years ago. According to OptaSTATS, this is the longest streak of its kind in the modern era, which began in 1901. Had it not been for a groin strain and elbow inflammation that sidelined him from May to September, Darvish would have reached this milestone earlier. Still, he’s managed to compile a 6-3 record with a 3.21 ERA, 1.114 WHIP, and 1.8 WAR in 14 starts during the 2024 season.
Darvish struck out over 200 batters in each of his first two MLB seasons, leading the league with 277 in 2013. That year, he finished second in AL Cy Young voting with the Texas Rangers and made his third consecutive All-Star appearance in 2014, though he missed 2015 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
After his return in 2016, Darvish posted 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 17 appearances. He surpassed 200 strikeouts again in 2018 and 2019, and in the shortened 2020 season, he recorded 93 strikeouts, finishing second in NL Cy Young voting once more.
In 2021, Darvish totaled 199 strikeouts, followed by 197 in 2022. Since his MLB debut, his 1,994 strikeouts rank sixth in the league, behind only Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, Gerrit Cole, Clayton Kershaw, and Justin Verlander. Among them, only Scherzer and Sale have a higher strikeout-per-nine-innings rate than Darvish.
With two regular season starts likely remaining, Darvish’s role in San Diego’s postseason rotation is still to be determined. He holds a 4-6 postseason record with a 4.19 ERA, though he was 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA in his four playoff starts for the Padres in 2022.
