Gavin Williams continues to climb into rarified air within Cleveland pitching history, and his latest milestone places him alongside four names that represent some of the most decorated arms to ever take the mound for this franchise.
Williams struck out eleven batters across six innings during Sunday’s walk off win over Detroit, pushing his season strikeout total to 228 and giving him sole possession of the major league lead. That outing also marked his eleventh double-digit strikeout game of the season, a total that now ties him for fifth all time in a single Cleveland season among a group of pitchers who have each reached that number at least once. Tom Withers detailed exactly how exclusive that company truly is, breaking down the full list of Cleveland arms who have accomplished the same feat throughout franchise history.
“Gavin Williams now leads MLB with 228 strikeouts. He’s the fifth Cleveland pitcher with at least 11 double-digit strikeout games in the same season. Corey Kluber (2014, 2017), Sam McDowell (1965, 1968), Herb Score (1956) and Bob Feller (1946) are the others,” Withers wrote.
Gavin Williams now leads MLB with 228 strikeouts. He's the fifth Cleveland pitcher with at least 11 double-digit strikeout games in the same season.
Corey Kluber (2014, 2017), Sam McDowell (1965, 1968), Herb Score (1956) and Bob Feller (1946) are the others.
— Tom Withers (@twithersCLE) September 6, 2026
Withers went on to identify the other pitchers who share that distinction, a list that includes Corey Kluber, who accomplished it in both 2014 and 2017, Sam McDowell, who did it in 1965 and 1968, along with Herb Score in 1956 and Bob Feller in 1946. Every name on that list represents a Cy Young winner, a franchise legend, or both, underscoring just how significant Williams’ current pace has become. Kluber’s inclusion is particularly notable given that both of his qualifying seasons came during Cy Young winning campaigns, while Feller and Score remain two of the most iconic strikeout artists in franchise history from earlier eras of the sport.
Williams has built this stretch of dominance over a relatively short window, striking out 24 batters combined across his last two starts alone. His outing against Detroit extended a streak of sustained excellence that has included a career high thirteen strikeout performance against Toronto earlier in the week, and he has now given Cleveland a legitimate frontline starter capable of matching strikeout totals with anyone in baseball during the stretch run. With Cleveland fighting for playoff positioning in both the American League Central and the Wild Card race, having that kind of strikeout weapon at the top of the rotation carries real weight heading into October.
The larger context around Williams’ pace only adds to the intrigue as the season winds down. He remains within reach of climbing even further up this list before the year concludes, and given how well he has pitched over his last several outings, matching or even surpassing some of the qualifying seasons on this list no longer feels out of reach. For a pitcher who has quietly developed into one of the most dominant arms in the sport, moments like this one continue to validate just how special his 2026 season has become.
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