Players denoted in boldface are still actively contributing to the record noted.
(r) denotes a player's rookie season.
Career record for most strikeouts
editNolan Ryan holds the Major League record for career strikeouts, with 5714. Randy Johnson, second on the list with 4875, holds the career record among left-handed pitchers.
Top 10 career strikeouts by league
edit
| American League Pitcher | Throws | Strikeouts | National League Pitcher | Throws | Strikeouts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Clemens | R | 4167[1] | Steve Carlton | L | 4000[2] | |
| Walter Johnson | R | 3508[3] | Greg Maddux | R | 3371[4] | |
| Bert Blyleven | R | 3361[5] | Tom Seaver | R | 3272[6] | |
| Nolan Ryan | R | 3355[7] | Bob Gibson | R | 3117[8] | |
| Mike Mussina | R | 2813[9] | John Smoltz | R | 3051[10] | |
| Mickey Lolich | L | 2679[11] | Don Sutton | R | 2939[12] | |
| Frank Tanana | L | 2669[13] | Phil Niekro | R | 2912[14] | |
| Bob Feller | R | 2581[15] | Tom Glavine | L | 2607[16] | |
| Randy Johnson | L | 2545[17] | Warren Spahn | L | 2583[18] | |
| Chuck Finley | L | 2527[19] | Christy Mathewson | R | 2502[20] | |
1200 strikeouts in two leagues
edit
| Pitcher | AL Strikeouts | NL Strikeouts |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Bunning[21] | 1406 | 1449 |
| Gaylord Perry[22] | 1574 | 1960 |
| Nolan Ryan[7] | 3355 | 2359 |
| Randy Johnson[17] | 2545 | 2330 |
| Pedro Martínez[23] | 1683 | 1471 |
320 strikeouts, one season
edit
| Pitcher | Strikeouts[24] | Throws | Team | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Buffinton | 417 | R | Boston Beaneaters | 1884 |
| Nolan Ryan | 383 | R | California Angels | 1973 |
| Sandy Koufax | 382 | L | Los Angeles Dodgers | 1965 |
| Randy Johnson | 372 | L | Arizona Diamondbacks | 2001 |
| Nolan Ryan | 367 | R | California Angels | 1974 |
| Randy Johnson | 364 | L | Arizona Diamondbacks | 1999 |
| Rube Waddell | 349 | L | Philadelphia Athletics | 1904 |
| Bob Feller | 348 | L | Cleveland Indians | 1946 |
| Randy Johnson | 347 | L | Arizona Diamondbacks | 2000 |
| Jim Whitney | 345 | R | Boston Beaneaters | 1883 |
| Mickey Welch | 345 | R | New York Giants | 1884 |
| Amos Rusie | 341 | R | New York Giants | 1890 |
| Nolan Ryan | 341 | R | California Angels | 1977 |
| Amos Rusie | 337 | R | New York Giants | 1891 |
| Tim Keefe | 335 | R | New York Giants | 1888 |
| Randy Johnson | 334 | L | Arizona Diamondbacks | 2002 |
| Nolan Ryan | 329 | R | California Angels | 1972 |
| Nolan Ryan | 327 | R | California Angels | 1976 |
| Ed Morris | 326 | L | Pittsburgh Alleghenys (AA) | 1886 |
| Sam McDowell | 325 | L | Cleveland Indians | 1965 |
Multiple seasons with 300 strikeouts
edit
| Pitcher | Seasons | Years and teams |
|---|---|---|
| Nolan Ryan[7] | 6 | 1972-74, 76-77 (California Angels), 1989 (Texas Rangers) |
| Randy Johnson[17] | 6 | 1993 (Seattle Mariners), 98 (Seattle Mariners-Houston Astros), 99–2002 (Arizona Diamondbacks) |
| Amos Rusie[25] | 3 | 1890-92 (New York Giants) |
| Sandy Koufax[26] | 3 | 1965-66 (Los Angeles Dodgers) |
| Curt Schilling[27] | 3 | 1997-98 (Philadelphia Phillies), 2002 (Arizona Diamondbacks) |
| John Clarkson[28] | 2 | 1885-86 (Chicago White Stockings) |
| Rube Waddell[29] | 2 | 1903–04 (Philadelphia Athletics) |
| Walter Johnson[3] | 2 | 1910, 12 (Washington Senators) |
| Sam McDowell[30] | 2 | 1965, 70 (Cleveland Indians) |
| J.R. Richard[31] | 2 | 1978-79 (Houston Astros) |
| Pedro Martínez[23] | 2 | 1997 (Montréal Expos), 99 (Boston Red Sox) |
Nine or more seasons with 200 strikeouts
edit| Pitcher | Seasons | Years and teams |
|---|---|---|
| Nolan Ryan[7] | 15 | 1972-74, 76-79 (California Angels), 80, 82, 85, 87-88 (Houston Astros), 89-91 (Texas Rangers) |
| Randy Johnson[17] | 13 | 1991-95, 97 (Seattle Mariners), 98 (Seattle Mariners-Houston Astros), 99-2002, 04 (Arizona Diamondbacks), 05 (New York Yankees) |
| Roger Clemens[1] | 12 | 1986-92, 96 (Boston Red Sox), 97-98 Toronto Blue Jays, 2001 (New York Yankees), 04 (Houston Astros) |
| Tom Seaver[6] | 10 | 1968-76 (New York Mets), 78 (Cincinnati Reds) |
| Bob Gibson[8] | 9 | 1962-66, 68-70, 72 (St. Louis Cardinals) |
| Pedro Martínez[23] | 9 | 1996-97 (Montréal Expos), 98-2000, 02-05 (Boston Red Sox) |
Six or more consecutive seasons with 200 strikeouts
edit| Pitcher | Seasons | Seasons and teams |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Seaver[6] | 9 | 1968-76 (New York Mets) |
| Walter Johnson[3] | 7 | 1910-16 (Washington Senators) |
| Roger Clemens[1] | 7 | 1986-92 (Boston Red Sox) |
| Sandy Koufax[26] | 6 | 1961-66 (Los Angeles Dodgers) |
| Sam McDowell[30] | 6 | 1965-70 (Cleveland Indians) |
| Mickey Lolich[11] | 6 | 1969-74 (Detroit Tigers) |
| Bert Blyleven[5] | 6 | 1971-75 (Minnesota Twins), 76 (Minnesota Twins-Texas Rangers) |
| Randy Johnson[17] | 6 | 1997 (Seattle Mariners), 98 (Seattle Mariners-Houston Astros), 99-2002 (Arizona Diamondbacks) |
Eighteen or more seasons with 100 strikeouts
edit| Pitcher | Seasons | Years and teams |
|---|---|---|
| Nolan Ryan[7] | 24 | 1968, 70-71 (New York Mets), 72-79 (California Angels), 80-88 (Houston Astros), 89-92 (Texas Rangers) |
| Roger Clemens[1] | 22 | 1984, 86-96 (Boston Red Sox), 97-98 Toronto Blue Jays, 99-2003 (New York Yankees), 04-06 (Houston Astros) |
| Don Sutton[12] | 21 | 1966-80 (Los Angeles Dodgers), 81 (Houston Astros), 82 (Houston Astros-Milwaukee Brewers), 83-84 (Milwaukee Brewers), 85 (Oakland Athletics-California Angels), 86 (California Angels) |
| Greg Maddux[4] | 21 | 1987-92, 2004-06 (Chicago Cubs), 93-2003 (Atlanta Braves), 07 (San Diego Padres) |
| Steve Carlton[2] | 19 | 1967-71 (St. Louis Cardinals), 72-84 (Philadelphia Phillies), 86 (Philadelphia Phillies-San Francisco Giants-Chicago White Sox) |
| Cy Young[32] | 18 | 1891-96, 98 (Cleveland Spiders), 99-1900 (St. Louis Perfectos), 01-08 (Boston Americans/Red Sox), 09 (Cleveland Naps) |
| Walter Johnson[3] | 18 | 1908-19, 21-26 (Washington Senators) |
| Gaylord Perry[22] | 18 | 1964-71 (San Francisco Giants), 72-74 (Cleveland Indians), 75 (Cleveland Indians-Texas Rangers), 76-77 (Texas Rangers), 78-79 (San Diego Padres), 80 (Texas Rangers-New York Yankees), 82 (Seattle Mariners) |
| Phil Niekro[14] | 18 | 1967-80, 82-83 (Atlanta Braves), 84-85 (New York Yankees) |
| Tom Seaver[6] | 18 | 1967-76, 83 (New York Mets), 77 (New York Mets-Cincinnati Reds), 78-80 (Cincinnati Reds), 84-86 (Chicago White Sox) |
| Randy Johnson[17] | 18 | 1989 (Montréal Expos-Seattle Mariners), 90-95, 97 (Seattle Mariners), 98 (Seattle Mariners-Houston Astros), 99-2004, 08 (Arizona Diamondbacks), 05-06 (New York Yankees) |
Fifteen or more consecutive seasons with 100 strikeouts
edit| Pitcher | Seasons | Years and teams |
|---|---|---|
| Nolan Ryan[7] | 23 | 1970-71 (New York Mets), 72-79 (California Angels), 80-88 (Houston Astros), 89-92 (Texas Rangers) |
| Don Sutton[12] | 21 | 1966-80 (Los Angeles Dodgers), 81 (Houston Astros), 82 (Houston Astros-Milwaukee Brewers), 83-84 (Milwaukee Brewers), 85 (Oakland Athletics-California Angels), 86 (California Angels) |
| Roger Clemens[1] | 21 | 1986-96 (Boston Red Sox), 97-98 Toronto Blue Jays, 99-2003 (New York Yankees), 04-06 (Houston Astros) |
| Greg Maddux[4] | 21 | 1987-92, 2004-06 (Chicago Cubs), 93-2003 (Atlanta Braves), 07 (San Diego Padres) |
| Steve Carlton[2] | 18 | 1967-71 (St. Louis Cardinals), 72-84 (Philadelphia Phillies) |
| Warren Spahn[18] | 17 | 1947-63 (Boston-Milwaukee Braves) |
| Gaylord Perry[22] | 17 | 1964-71 (San Francisco Giants), 72-74 (Cleveland Indians), 75 (Cleveland Indians-Texas Rangers), 76-77 (Texas Rangers), 78-79 (San Diego Padres), 80 (Texas Rangers-New York Yankees) |
| Ferguson Jenkins[33] | 15 | 1966 (Philadelphia Phillies-Chicago Cubs), 67-73 (Chicago Cubs), 74-75, 78-80 (Texas Rangers), 76-77 (Boston Red Sox) |
League leader in strikeouts, 5 or more seasons
edit
| Pitcher | Titles[34] | Years and teams |
|---|---|---|
| Walter Johnson | 12 | 1910, 12-19, 21, 23-24 (Washington Senators) |
| Nolan Ryan | 11 | 1972-74, 76-79 (California Angels), 87-88 (Houston Astros), 89-90 (Texas Rangers) |
| Randy Johnson | 9 | 1992-95 (Seattle Mariners), 99-2002, 04 (Arizona Diamondbacks) |
| Dazzy Vance | 7 | 1922-28 (Brooklyn Dodgers) |
| Lefty Grove | 7 | 1925-31 (Philadelphia Athletics) |
| Bob Feller | 7 | 1938-41, 46-48 (Cleveland Indians) |
| Rube Waddell | 6 | 1902-07 (Philadelphia Athletics) |
| Grover Cleveland Alexander | 6 | 1912, 14-17 (Philadelphia Phillies), 20 (Chicago Cubs) |
| Amos Rusie | 5 | 1890-91, 93-95 (New York Giants) |
| Christy Mathewson | 5 | 1903-05, 07-08 (New York Giants) |
| Sam McDowell | 5 | 1965-66, 68-70 (Cleveland Indians) |
| Tom Seaver | 5 | 1970-71, 73, 75-76 (New York Mets) |
| Roger Clemens | 5 | 1988. 91, 96 (Boston Red Sox), 97-98 (Toronto Blue Jays) |
League leader in strikeouts, 3 or more consecutive seasons
edit| Pitcher | Titles[34] | Years and teams |
|---|---|---|
| Walter Johnson | 8 | 1912-19 (Washington Senators) |
| Dazzy Vance | 7 | 1922-28 (Brooklyn Dodgers) |
| Lefty Grove | 7 | 1925-31 (Philadelphia Athletics) |
| Rube Waddell | 6 | 1902-07 (Philadelphia Athletics) |
| Grover Cleveland Alexander | 4 | 1914-17 (Philadelphia Phillies) |
| Dizzy Dean | 4 | 1932-35 (St. Louis Cardinals) |
| Bob Feller | 4 | 1938-41 (Cleveland Indians) |
| Warren Spahn | 4 | 1949-52 (Boston Braves) |
| Nolan Ryan | 4 | 1976-79 (California Angels) |
| Nolan Ryan | 4 | 1987-88 (Houston Astros), 89-90 (Texas Rangers) |
| Randy Johnson | 4 | 1992-95 (Seattle Mariners) |
| Randy Johnson | 4 | 1999-2002 (Arizona Diamondbacks) |
| Bobby Mathews | 3 | 1872 (Baltimore Canaries (NA)), 73-74 (New York Mutuals (NA)) |
| Amos Rusie | 3 | 1893-95 (New York Giants) |
| Noodles Hahn | 3 | 1899-1901 (Cincinnati Reds) |
| Christy Mathewson | 3 | 1903-05 (New York Giants) |
| Johnny Vander Meer | 3 | 1941-43 (Cincinnati Reds) |
| Bob Feller | 3 | 1946-48 (Cleveland Indians) |
| Camilo Pascual | 3 | 1961-63 (Minnesota Twins) |
| Sam McDowell | 3 | 1968-70 (Cleveland Indians) |
| Nolan Ryan | 3 | 1972-74 (California Angels) |
| Roger Clemens | 3 | 1996 (Boston Red Sox), 97-98 (Toronto Blue Jays) |
| Johan Santana | 3 | 2004-06 (Minnesota Twins) |
| Tim Lincecum | 3 | 2008-10 (San Francisco Giants) |
League leader in strikeouts, two leagues
edit
| Pitcher | League, team and year[34] |
|---|---|
| Tim Keefe | AA: New York Metropolitans (1883), NL: New York Giants (1888) |
| Mark Baldwin | AA: Columbus Solons (1889), PL: Chicago Pirates (1890) |
| Cy Young | NL: Cleveland Spiders (1896), AL: Boston Americans (1901) |
| Jim Bunning | AL: Detroit Tigers (1959-60), NL: Philadelphia Phillies (1967) |
| Nolan Ryan | AL: California Angels (1972-74, 76-79), Texas Rangers (1989-90), NL: Houston Astros (1987-88) |
| Randy Johnson | AL: Seattle Mariners (1992-95), NL: Arizona Diamondbacks (1999-2002, 04) |
| Hideo Nomo | NL: Los Angeles Dodgers (1995), AL: Boston Red Sox (2001) |
League leader in strikeouts, three different teams
edit| Pitcher | League, team and year[34] |
|---|---|
| Nolan Ryan | California Angels (1972-74, 76-79), Houston Astros (1987-88), Texas Rangers (1989-90) |
1300 strikeouts, team, season
edit| Season | Team[35] | Strikeouts |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Chicago Cubs | 1404 |
| 2004 | Chicago Cubs | 1346 |
| 2001 | Chicago Cubs | 1344 |
| 2002 | Chicago Cubs | 1333 |
| 2010 | San Francisco Giants | 1331 |
| 2002 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 1303 |
| 2009 | San Francisco Giants | 1302 |
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Roger Clemens". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Steve Carlton". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 "Walter Johnson". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Greg Maddux". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 "Bert Blyleven". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 "Tom Seaver". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Nolan Ryan". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 "Bob Gibson". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "Mike Mussina". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "John Smoltz". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 "Mickey Lolich". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Don Sutton". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "Frank Tanana". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 "Phil Niekro". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "Bob Feller". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "Tom Glavine". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Randy Johnson". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 "Warren Spahn". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "Chuck Finley". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "Christy Mathewson". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "Jim Bunning". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Gaylord Perry". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Pedro Martinez". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "League Leaders: Hitting Leaders, Career Single Season". statistical list. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "Amos Rusie". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 "Sandy Koufax". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "Curt Schilling". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "John Calrkson". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "Rube Waddell". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 "Sam McDowell". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "J.R. Richard". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "Cy Young". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ↑ "Fergie Jenkins". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 "Yearly League Leaders & Records for Strikeouts". statistical list. Baseball-Reference.com. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
- ↑ "Sortable Team Stats - Team Strikeouts". statistical list. Baseball-Reference.com. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.