Justin Verlander Passes Giants Legend Gaylord Perry for Eighth on MLB Strikeout List

Verlander entered the game with 3,530 strikeouts, four behind Perry on the all-list. Last month, Verlander passed Walter Johnson for No. 9 on the list on Aug. 26 against the Chicago Cubs, and he quickly targeted Perry with a 10-strikeout game on Aug. 31 at Baltimore.

Entering the game Verlander needed four to tie Perry and five to pass him. He struck out St. Louis’ Nolan Gorman in the first inning. He struck out Jose Fermin in the third inning and then struck out Gorman again in the fourth inning.  

Verlander had to wait until the sixth inning to pass Perry. First, he tied Perry by striking out Ivan Herrera to lead off the inning. Then, fittingly, he struck out Gorman — for the third time in the game — to get the milestone strikeout. After that, he finished off the inning by fanning Maysn Winn to strike out the side.

Verlander is now 265-157 for his career with three American League Cy Young awards, the AL rookie of the year award, an AL most valuable player award, nine All-Star game appearances, two World Series rings, two ERA titles and pitching’s triple crown.

Who’s next for Verlander? He needs 38 more strikeouts to catch Don Sutton, who is seventh on the all-time list.

Gaylord Perry’s Legendary Career

Perry played 22 Major League seasons from 1962-83 and he broke in with the San Francisco Giants. The Gaffney, S.C., native went to Campbell University and was signed by the Giants for $90,000 in 1958. Back then, there was no Major League Baseball draft.

He spent 10 seasons with the Giants, the most of his career. He became a vagabond after he left the Giants and played for seven more teams. He finished his career with a record of 314-265 with a 3.11 ERA. He was a five-time All-Star, became the first pitcher to win the Cy Young award in both leagues and finished in MVP voting five times.

With San Francisco (1962-71), he went 134-109 with a 2.96 ERA with 1,606 strikeouts. He earned two of his All-Star Game bids with the Giants and finished as high as second in NL Cy Young voting in 1970. That season he went 23-13 with a 3.20 ERA, with a Major League high 41 starts and 328.2 innings.