Major League Baseball has a tendency to catch a bad rap because a lot of people view it as a "two outcome" game. Hitters are either expected to hit a home run or go down on strikes. If anything, this should make baseball more appealing because these outcomes can be exiting to witness.
Earlier this month, we took some time to reflect on the five best home runs of the 2025 MLB season thus far. Today, we are going in the complete opposite direction. Let's take a look at the five best 'mic drop' strikeouts to date.
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5. Subway Series Save
It is always an eletric environment any time the New York Yankees and New York Mets square off. Back of May 17th, the Mets traveled across town to Yankee stadium and found themselves up one run in the ninth inning with two outs. Edwin Diaz was on the mound looking to close the door for the visitors. His last hurdle: Aaron Judge.
We know that Judge is this era's Barry Bonds so the potnetial of him tying the game with a homer felt well within reach. Diaz started the at-bat with a slider at the knees to get ahead 0-1. The next pitch was fouled away and Judge fell behind in the count 0-2.
Judge battled back laying off some really competitive pitches and worked the count full, increasing tension throughout the stadium. Diaz eventually won the battle after climbing the ladder with a 99 mph fast ball that Judge couldn't catch up to and the Mets walked away with the win.
4. Ohtani whiffs vs. position player
There is no pitcher on the face of this planet that wishes to face superstar Shohei Ohtani. Well, besides A's catcher Jhonny Pereda.
A few weeks ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers were beating the A's (as expected) by a score of 17-2 in the eighth inning. A's manager Mark Kotsay conceding the game and decided to save bullpen arms by putting a position player on the mound and Pereda got the call.
Ohtani stepped to the plate against Pereda with runners on second and third and nobody out. Pereda's first pitch looked like it was straight out of a church league softball game. He let a floater go and ran off the back of the mound, looking to avoid threats of a come-backer. After Ohtani fouled off a couiple pitches and fell behind in the count 1-2, Pereda decided to ramp it up.
Pereda served a 89 mph pitch just above the zone and Ohtani went chasing. Following the first few pitches of the at-bat, 89 must have looked like 109 to Ohtani as he was way behind. Pereda tried his best to contain his excitement and be as professional as he could but you can tell he was proud of this accomplishment.
3. Tarik Skubal racks up 13 K's in complete game shutout
It is extremely rare these days to see a starting pitcher go the distance and toss a complete game. Not only did Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers do exactly that on May 25th but he did so without allowing a run and striking out an astonishing 13 batters.
There are several strikeouts throughout this performance that were impressive but the last out of the game really takes the cake. 93 pitches into this masterpiece, Skubal was ahead in the count 0-2 to Gabriel Arias of the Cleveland Guardians.
The left-handed hurler reached into his bag of tricks and displayed a 103 mph fastball that had some sink to it. Running in to Arias' back foot, the Guardians' two-hole hitter was unable to lay off the pitch and Skubal accomplished the complete game shutout with an exclamation point to end it.
2. Mason Miller on a mission
The A' s may not be viewed as one of the best teams in the league but they sure have some talent. One name that many others will be inquiring about around the trade deadline is closer Mason Miller.. Earlier this month, Miller put on one of the most impressive performances from a relief pitcher this year to earn a save.
On June 6th, Miller entered a game against the Baltimore Orioles with his team up by one run with the bases loaded and one out. Miller punched out both Heston Kjerstad and Jackson Holliday to leave the bases juiced and preserve the A's one run lead.
Miller was able to give the A's just enough momentum to hang on to that lead and added another strikeout (Adley Rutschman at that) in the 9th before closing the door on a ground ball back to him off the bat of Ramon Urias.
1. Cal Quantrill has immaculate inning
On May 18th, Miami Marlins starter Cal Quantrill entered the fourth inning of a game down 1-0 to the Tampa Bay Rays. Desperate for some run support, Quantrill breezed through the fourth inning to get the bats back in his teams' hands. He did so in immaculate fashion.
Quantrill went through Jonathan Aranda, Christopher Morel and Kameron Misner. All it took was nine pitches, which were all strikes and resulted in three strikeouts. Quantrill's impressive inning was the first immaculate frame by a pitcher in 2025.