Expanded League Record Book: Strikeouts

We’ve finally reached the end of the 1994-2019 Valley League record book with this entry- strikeouts. Let’s take a look:

1	Jon Rauch	Harrisonburg	1998	126
2	Travis Rehrer	Harrisonburg	1997	94
3	Jason Bohannon	Waynesboro	1995	92
	Andrew Dobies	Staunton	2003	92
5	BJ Benik	Front Royal	1998	89
	Tim Gudex	Harrisonburg	2004	89
7	Dustin Umberger	Luray	2007	88
8	Cody Weiss	Luray	2010	87
9	Heath Bost	New Market	1994	86
10	Drew Granier	Harrisonburg	2010	84
11	Bubba Chapman	Harrisonburg	1994	83
12	Robert Gilliam	Luray	2007	81
13	David Bailey	Winchester	1998	80
	Bubby Buzachero	Staunton	2001	80
15	Jeff Dagenhart	New Market	2004	79
	Josh Eidell	Woodstock	2007	79
17	Ray Cavanaugh	Winchester	1996	78
18	Kevin Herget	Strasburg	2012	77
	Travis Rehrer	Harrisonburg	1998	77
20	Will Malerich	New Market	1996	76
	Ryan Jamison	Staunton	1997	76
	Omar Aguilar	Covington	2004	76
	Sean Stidfole	Winchester	2004	76

Notes

• This list has a more-than-passing resemblance with the innings pitched list, of course, as more of everything comes with more innings. There are nine players on this list that also appear on the IP one. Andrew Dobies is the first one on the strikeout list who is not on the IP list. Get a load of this: pitching for Staunton in 2003, Dobies went 4-1, 2.25, with only eight walks and 92 strikeouts in 56 innings. His WHIP was 0.911, and he had a 1.3 BB/9, and 14.8 K/9. (I think I’d like to do a list of best pitching seasons from 1994 to 2019, and this one would have to be on it, right?)
• As you can see, Brilliant Reader, Jon Rauch owns this list, as he has 34% more strikeouts than the next total on the list. In 1998, he recorded 255 outs for the Turks, with 126 of them by strikeout- a ridiculous 49.4%. His line would be on the all-time best list, too, I would imagine.
• And by the way, while many of these pitchers played in pro ball, only Rauch made the major leagues.
• Bubby Buzachero appears on the list tied at #13. Buzachero passed away in 2020.
• There are 11 entries on this list from 1994 to 1998; two from 1999 to 2003; seven from 2004 to 2008, and three from 2009 to 2012. Kevin Herget’s 77 K’s in 2012 was the last time a player cracked the list! Tristen Bayless led the league in 2019 with 62, by the way.
• Harrisonburg has six players on the list; Staunton, Luray, New Market, and Winchester all have three; Waynesboro, Front Royal, Woodstock, Strasburg, and Covington all have one. Purcellville and Charlottesville have none.