Overview
A strikeout occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes. It can be a called strikeout (watching the third strike) or a swinging strikeout. NPB's single-season record is Yutaka Enatsu's 401 in 1968, unbroken for over half a century. The career record is Masaichi Kaneda's 4,490. For pitchers, strikeouts are the most reliable way to record outs without depending on defense, and sabermetrics places high value on strikeout rate.