Which 2026 MLB deadline candidate led the American League in strikeouts in 2023?

Kevin Gausman led the American League in strikeouts in 2023.

Gausman recorded 237 strikeouts for the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2023 regular season, finishing first in the American League. It was the first time he had led his league in strikeouts, although he had already established himself as one of baseball’s premier swing-and-miss pitchers through his split-finger fastball.

Born in Colorado, Gausman played college baseball at Louisiana State University. The Baltimore Orioles selected him fourth overall in the 2012 MLB draft, and he reached the majors in 2013. His career also included stops with Atlanta, Cincinnati and San Francisco before Toronto.

The distractors are all accomplished pitchers, which makes the question tricky. Robbie Ray led the AL in strikeouts in 2021, while Tarik Skubal became a later strikeout leader. Gausman’s 2023 distinction belongs specifically to the American League’s regular-season strikeout race.