Who’s Favored in MLB Strikeout Leader Odds: Skubal, Skenes or Crochet?

• Last season, Garrett Crochet led the way
• Tarik Skubal tops the list of odds
• Continue reading for the top MLB strikeout leader odds

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The true mark of a dominant pitcher is a big strikeout total. Last season, Garrett Crochet led the Majors with a staggering 255 punchouts. In the National League, Logan Webb took the crown with 224 strikeouts. In total, 12 pitchers crossed 200 strikeouts, and 31 others had at least 150.

Keep reading for the top MLB strikeout leader odds in 2026.

MLB Strikeout Leader Odds for 2026

The two major contenders for the “best pitcher on the planet” label lead the way in the 2026 MLB strikeout leaders: Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes. Skubal is sitting at +350 odds on DraftKings with Skenes following close behind at +450. Last season’s leader, Garrett Crochet, is third in odds at +500.

After Crochet, the list opens up with just Hunter Greene (+800) shorter than 14-to-1. In total, 20 pitchers have odds shorter than 60-to-1.

Odds as of Feb 24th at DraftKings. Claim the DraftKings promo code before betting on MLB futures.

Strikeout Leader Picks & Best Bets

Tarik Skubal (+350)

The two-time reigning AL Cy Young, Skull has surpassed 225 strikeouts in each of the last two seasons. He has thrown at least 190 innings and posted a K/9 of at least 10.7. In 2024, he lead the Majors with 228 strikeouts, and he finished second last season.

Skubal is favored for a good reason. He has a workhorse mentality, elite stuff, and 2026 is a contract year. Skubal is the primary reason why the Tigers are even top-12 in 2026 World Series odds. He is, at worst, the second-best pitcher in the world.

Chase Burns (+2200)

The run prevention was not there in Burns’ debut, but the strikeouts certainly were. Burns struck out a comical 35.6% of batters faced, comparable to an elite reliever. He generated elite chase and whiff rates, both north of 31%. His fastball-slider pair is already among the best pitch pairs in the sport. By Stuff+, his fastball (107 Stuff+) is a top-25 fastball among starters, and his slider (126 Stuff+) is top 10 among starters.

If you need a recent comp, look no further than Spencer Strider from 2022-2023. Strider struck out 37.4% of batters faced in that span over 318.1 innings. Like Burns, he largely relied on a fastball-slider duo. Strider healthily led MLB in strikeouts in 2023 despite throwing a fairly modest 186.2 innings. Burns is the most likely pitcher to post a gargantuan strikeout rate over a starter’s workload.

Bets to Avoid

Dylan Cease (+1400)

Cease has made 32 or more starts in five straight seasons, pitching no fewer than 165 innings. He has struck out at least 214 batters in all five seasons as well, maxing out with 227 in 2022. Last season, he led the Majors in strikeouts per nine innings. What’s not to like?

Cease is moving to a less-friendly ballpark for pitching and strikeouts. While Rogers Centre is by no means a hitter’s paradise, it is more offensively inclined than Petco Park. Cease is also “burdened” with a spectacular defense behind him. In essence, the Blue Jays will be better at turning batted balls into outs, limiting the opportunities for some strikeouts as they’ll be replaced with field outs.

Spencer Strider (+2200)

While Strider did lead the Majors with a whopping 281 strikeouts in his most recent healthy season, his strikeout rate took a huge dip in 2025. After striking out nearly 37% of batters faced in 2023, Strider only struck out 24.3% of batters in 2025, just slightly above average.

The serious concern is Strider’s dip in fastball velocity. In 2023, Strider averaged 97.2 mph on his fastball and had a 28.7% whiff rate. In 2025, the fastball averaged just 95.5 mph and had a much more modest 15.3% whiff rate.

Interesting Longshots

Freddy Peralta (+6500)

While Peralta is giving up a largely weather-controlled environment, he will still be pitching in a premier pitcher’s park. Last season, Citi Field had a 103 Statcast park factor for strikeouts (100 is average) and depressed offense generally. Peralta should feel right at home.

Despite more modest innings totals, Peralta has registered 200 strikeouts in each of the last three seasons. He has maintained a K/9 north of 10.4 in all three seasons. If Peralta pitches more in the realm of 190 innings with his strikeout rate, he will be a serious contender to lead the league.

Logan Webb (+10000)

Logan Webb is by no means a strikeout artist, but he is an innings workhorse. Webb has led the NL in innings pitched in each of the last three seasons, leading the Majors in both 2023 and 2025. His strikeout rate (9.7 K/9, 26.2%) was the most robust of his qualified seasons, and he cracked 200 strikeouts for the first time in his career. With a not-so-stellar defense behind him (namely, Luis Arraez and Rafael Devers), Webb could pitch for more whiffs, leading to a few extra strikeouts and an MLB lead.