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Nationals Ace Shares Hall of Fame Company After Nine Starts
Apr 29, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore (1) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Nationals Ace Shares Hall of Fame Company After Nine Starts

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Anders Pryor  |  Last updated May 11, 2025 7:00 PM ET

MacKenzie Gore has always had solid starts, above average numbers and the general respect from the baseball community. But because the Washington Nationals have had poor records during his tenure, he hasn't garnered the attention that pitchers with similar numbers on better teams have.

Gore, 26, has a 2-4 record with a 3.59 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and an MLB-leading 75 strikeouts.

He's always pounded the strike- zone well, but this season has been special.

According to Baseball Savant, Gore's strikeout rate is in the 96th percentile this year.

When diving deeper into his strikeout numbers, the ace is off to a truly historic start.

He's tied for the ninth-most strikeouts to start a season by a left-handed pitcher through their first nine outings since 2000.

Being on the same last that Randy Johnson is on is a dream come true for just about any pitcher.

Amongst those still in the MLB, Carlos Rodon's 2021 season ended in 185 strikeouts, while Chris Sale's 2017 and 2018 campaigns ended in 308 and 238 strikeouts, respectively.

Gore had 181 last year.

History shows that he should be able to keep hold of his strikeout lead and capture the K's title this year.

Washington's starting pitching rotation as a whole ranks 18th in strikeouts per nine innings according to FanGraphs, and most of that is carried by Gore's massive lead.

His season high for strikeouts in a single game is 13, which he has reached twice -- once against the Philadelphia Phillies in an extra innings 7-3 defeat and again against the Colorado Rockies in a 12-11 victory.

Gore's next projected start is this upcoming Thursday against the division rival Atlanta Braves, who rank 21st in batting average.

A similar double-digit strikeout performance could be awaiting later this week for the ace.

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This article first appeared on Washington Nationals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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