The 'Single-season rookie K-leaders' quiz

The Cleveland Guardians staved off elimination at the hands of the Chicago White Sox in Game 3 of the ALDS, and heading into Game 4 with Parker Messick taking the mound, they have a pulse once again. 

Coming off of a 9-3 victory to get their first win of the 2026 Playoffs in which they struck out 19  Chicago batters, Cleveland is trotting out rookie Parker Messick for Game 4. Messick made 32 starts in the 2026 regular season, posting a 2.56 ERA with 193 Ks in 186 1/3 innings, with  four of those starts coming against Chicago. 

The Plant City, Florida native went 25 2/3 innings in those starts, allowing eight runs and racking up 29 Ks and not allowing more than three runs in any single outing. If Messick is able to turn in another strong performance, the Guardians could absolutely send the series back to Cleveland for a decisive Game 5.

Which brings us to today’s quiz. There have been 29 pitchers in the Live-Ball Era (since 1920) to rack up at least 180 batters in a season as a rookie. How many of those pitchers can you name in five minutes?

Good luck!

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