Schwarber and Montgomery Have Approached Strikeout Record
Kyle Schwarber and Colson Montgomery are nearing the all-time MLB single-season strikeout record.
Updated on Sept. 20, 2026 in Baseball
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MLB players Kyle Schwarber and Colson Montgomery have both recorded 216 strikeouts so far in the 2026 season. They are currently chasing the single-season record of 223 strikeouts set by Mark Reynolds in 2009.
Why it matters
With only seven games remaining in the regular season for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox, both players are in a tight race to reach or exceed the historic strikeout mark.
Colson Montgomery has recorded 10 strikeouts in the past week, putting him on pace for 226 total, while Kyle Schwarber has recorded six, putting him on pace for 222.
The players
Kyle Schwarber
He is a professional baseball player currently competing for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Colson Montgomery
He is a professional baseball player currently competing for the Chicago White Sox.
Mark Reynolds
He is a former professional baseball player who established the MLB single-season record for strikeouts in 2009.
The details
Both players need to average one strikeout per game over their final seven appearances to tie or break the existing record. Current projections suggest Montgomery is the more likely candidate to surpass the 223-strikeout threshold established in 2009.
Timeline
Mark Reynolds set the single-season strikeout record in 2009.
As of September 20, 2026, both players reached 216 strikeouts.
There are seven games remaining in the 2026 regular season.
Season Trajectory
This chase highlights the increasing frequency of high-strikeout seasons in the modern era of professional baseball. Surpassing the 2009 record would redefine the upper limits of individual strikeout totals in a single regular season.
Each additional strikeout for Schwarber and Montgomery directly contributes to their final 2026 season statistics and potential record-breaking outcome. Fantasy baseball managers should monitor these final seven games to see if either player exceeds the 223-strikeout threshold.
The takeaway
The race to 224 strikeouts demonstrates the intense pressure and high-variance nature of modern professional hitting. Fans should watch the final week of the season to see if these players can successfully rewrite the single-season record book.
Further reading
For more context on current performance trends, visit Baseball.
Live Poll
Do you believe the rising number of strikeouts in MLB is hurting the quality of the game?
