Kenley Jansen's MLB-record strikeout rate

Once again, strikeouts hit an all-time high in MLB in 2011. Check out the highest K per 9 innings numbers this past year (minimum 40 innings pitched):

Rk	Player	SO/9	IP	Age	Tm	G	GF	SV	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA	ERA+	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
1	Kenley Jansen	16.10	53.2	23	LAD	51	13	5	30	17	17	26	96	2.85	131	.159	.266	.228	.494	43
2	Craig Kimbrel	14.84	77.0	23	ATL	79	64	46	48	19	18	32	127	2.10	181	.178	.266	.233	.499	43
3	Al Alburquerque	13.92	43.1	25	DET	41	11	0	21	9	9	29	67	1.87	220	.142	.289	.149	.438	24
4	David Robertson	13.50	66.2	26	NYY	70	8	1	40	9	8	35	100	1.08	410	.170	.280	.226	.506	36
5	Sergio Romo	13.13	48.0	28	SFG	65	16	1	29	8	8	5	70	1.50	239	.173	.197	.262	.458	31
6	Sergio Santos	13.07	63.1	27	CHW	63	50	30	41	25	25	29	92	3.55	119	.181	.282	.314	.596	62
7	Rex Brothers	13.06	40.2	23	COL	48	6	1	33	14	13	20	59	2.88	157	.217	.308	.336	.644	71
8	Aroldis Chapman	12.78	50.0	23	CIN	54	13	1	24	21	20	41	71	3.60	109	.147	.325	.209	.534	53
9	Vinnie Pestano	12.19	62.0	26	CLE	67	20	2	41	16	16	24	84	2.32	172	.184	.272	.305	.577	62
10	Jonathan Papelbon	12.17	64.1	30	BOS	63	54	31	50	22	21	10	87	2.94	145	.207	.247	.299	.546	47
11	Carlos Marmol	12.04	74.0	28	CHC	75	61	34	54	33	33	48	99	4.01	98	.205	.344	.299	.643	82

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 11/23/2011.

These are all the guys to post a K/9 of at least 12. Kenley Jansen's 16.10 is just a ridiculous number. In fact, it's an all-time record (again, minimum 40 IP):

Rk	Player	SO/9	IP	Year	Age	Tm	G	GF	SV	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA	ERA+	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1	Kenley Jansen	16.10	53.2	2011	23	LAD	51	13	5	30	17	17	26	96	2.85	131	.159	.266	.228	.494
2	Carlos Marmol	15.99	77.2	2010	27	CHC	77	70	38	40	23	22	52	138	2.55	171	.147	.301	.199	.500
3	Eric Gagne	14.98	82.1	2003	27	LAD	77	67	55	37	12	11	20	137	1.20	337	.133	.199	.176	.374
4	Billy Wagner	14.95	74.2	1999	27	HOU	66	55	39	35	14	13	23	124	1.57	287	.135	.208	.212	.420
5	Brad Lidge	14.93	94.2	2004	27	HOU	80	44	29	57	21	20	30	157	1.90	230	.174	.254	.290	.544
6	Craig Kimbrel	14.84	77.0	2011	23	ATL	79	64	46	48	19	18	32	127	2.10	181	.178	.266	.233	.499
7	Armando Benitez	14.77	78.0	1999	26	NYM	77	42	22	40	17	16	41	128	1.85	241	.148	.260	.236	.496
8	Billy Wagner	14.55	60.0	1998	26	HOU	58	50	30	46	19	18	25	97	2.70	153	.211	.292	.312	.604
9	Billy Wagner	14.38	66.1	1997	25	HOU	62	49	23	49	23	21	30	106	2.85	141	.204	.299	.300	.599
10	Byung-Hyun Kim	14.14	70.2	2000	21	ARI	61	30	14	52	39	35	46	111	4.46	108	.200	.336	.346	.683

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 11/23/2011.

Jansen broke a record set all the way back in....ummm....2010. And Kimbrel posted the 6th-highest K/9 number this past year. That's what happens when the baseline (overall strikeouts in the game) keeps rising.