2. Bob Gibson – St. Louis Cardinals (1968, Game 1)
In the opening game of the 1968 World Series against the Detroit Tigers, Bob Gibson delivered a performance so overwhelming that it influenced the game’s rules for decades to come. Gibson, already coming off a season with an astonishing 1.12 ERA, struck out an unprecedented 17 batters. This remains the single-game World Series strikeout record. He threw a complete-game shutout, allowing only five scattered hits and walking one, completely neutralizing a potent Tigers lineup featuring sluggers like Al Kaline and Willie Horton. Gibson’s raw power and fierce intensity on the mound that day cemented his status as one of the most intimidating pitchers in baseball history, making the Tigers look helpless for nine electrifying innings.
