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List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders

Updated: Wikipedia source

List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders

This list is for pitchers. For career strikeouts by batters, see List of Major League Baseball career strikeouts by batters leaders.

The following list is of the top 100 pitchers in career strikeouts in Major League Baseball. In baseball, a strikeout occurs when the batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. Strikeouts are associated with dominance on the part of the pitcher and failure on the part of the batter. Nolan Ryan has the most career strikeouts in Major League Baseball. During a record 27-year career, he struck out 5,714 batters. The American League record is held by Roger Clemens (4,167 strikeouts), while in the National League, the record is 4,000 by Steve Carlton. The parentheses adjacent to an active player denote the number of strikeouts in the current season. The last change in the cutoff for the top 100 occurred on April 1, 2026, when Kevin Gausman struck out his 1,969th batter, displacing Kenny Rogers.

Tables

· List
Bold
Bold
†
Bold
Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Denotes active player (with 2026 season strikeouts shown).
†
Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bold
Denotes active player (with 2026 season strikeouts shown).
· List
1
1
Rank
1
Player
Nolan Ryan †
K
5,714
2
2
Rank
2
Player
Randy Johnson †
K
4,875
3
3
Rank
3
Player
Roger Clemens
K
4,672
4
4
Rank
4
Player
Steve Carlton †
K
4,136
5
5
Rank
5
Player
Bert Blyleven †
K
3,701
6
6
Rank
6
Player
Tom Seaver †
K
3,640
7
7
Rank
7
Player
Don Sutton †
K
3,574
8
8
Rank
8
Player
Justin Verlander (1)
K
3,554
9
9
Rank
9
Player
Gaylord Perry †
K
3,534
10
10
Rank
10
Player
Walter Johnson †
K
3,509
11
11
Rank
11
Player
Max Scherzer (10)
K
3,499
12
12
Rank
12
Player
Greg Maddux †
K
3,371
13
13
Rank
13
Player
Phil Niekro †
K
3,342
14
14
Rank
14
Player
Ferguson Jenkins †
K
3,192
15
15
Rank
15
Player
Pedro Martínez †
K
3,154
16
16
Rank
16
Player
Bob Gibson †
K
3,117
17
17
Rank
17
Player
Curt Schilling
K
3,116
18
18
Rank
18
Player
CC Sabathia †
K
3,093
19
19
Rank
19
Player
John Smoltz †
K
3,084
20
20
Rank
20
Player
Clayton Kershaw
K
3,052
21
21
Rank
21
Player
Zack Greinke
K
2,979
22
22
Rank
22
Player
Jim Bunning †
K
2,855
23
23
Rank
23
Player
Mickey Lolich
K
2,832
24
24
Rank
24
Player
Mike Mussina †
K
2,813
25
25
Rank
25
Player
Cy Young †
K
2,803
26
26
Rank
26
Player
Frank Tanana
K
2,773
27
27
Rank
27
Player
David Cone
K
2,668
28
28
Rank
28
Player
Chris Sale (64)
K
2,643
29
29
Rank
29
Player
Chuck Finley
K
2,610
30
30
Rank
30
Player
Tom Glavine †
K
2,607
31
31
Rank
31
Player
Warren Spahn †
K
2,583
32
32
Rank
32
Player
Bob Feller †
K
2,581
33
33
Rank
33
Player
Tim Keefe †
K
2,564
34
34
Rank
34
Player
Cole Hamels
K
2,560
35
35
Rank
35
Player
Jerry Koosman
K
2,556
36
36
Rank
36
Player
Javier Vázquez
K
2,536
37
37
Rank
37
Player
Bartolo Colón
K
2,535
38
38
Rank
38
Player
Félix Hernández
K
2,524
39
39
Rank
39
Player
A. J. Burnett
K
2,513
40
40
Rank
40
Player
Christy Mathewson †
K
2,502
41
41
Rank
41
Player
Jon Lester
K
2,488
42
42
Rank
42
Player
Don Drysdale †
K
2,486
43
43
Rank
43
Player
Jack Morris †
K
2,478
44
44
Rank
44
Player
Mark Langston
K
2,464
45
45
Rank
45
Player
Jim Kaat †
K
2,461
46
46
Rank
46
Player
Sam McDowell
K
2,453
47
47
Rank
47
Player
Andy Pettitte
K
2,448
48
48
Rank
48
Player
Jamie Moyer
K
2,441
49
49
Rank
49
Player
Luis Tiant
K
2,416
50
50
Rank
50
Player
Dennis Eckersley †
K
2,401
Rank
Player
K
1
Nolan Ryan †
5,714
2
Randy Johnson †
4,875
3
Roger Clemens
4,672
4
Steve Carlton †
4,136
5
Bert Blyleven †
3,701
6
Tom Seaver †
3,640
7
Don Sutton †
3,574
8
Justin Verlander (1)
3,554
9
Gaylord Perry †
3,534
10
Walter Johnson †
3,509
11
Max Scherzer (10)
3,499
12
Greg Maddux †
3,371
13
Phil Niekro †
3,342
14
Ferguson Jenkins †
3,192
15
Pedro Martínez †
3,154
16
Bob Gibson †
3,117
17
Curt Schilling
3,116
18
CC Sabathia †
3,093
19
John Smoltz †
3,084
20
Clayton Kershaw
3,052
21
Zack Greinke
2,979
22
Jim Bunning †
2,855
23
Mickey Lolich
2,832
24
Mike Mussina †
2,813
25
Cy Young †
2,803
26
Frank Tanana
2,773
27
David Cone
2,668
28
Chris Sale (64)
2,643
29
Chuck Finley
2,610
30
Tom Glavine †
2,607
31
Warren Spahn †
2,583
32
Bob Feller †
2,581
33
Tim Keefe †
2,564
34
Cole Hamels
2,560
35
Jerry Koosman
2,556
36
Javier Vázquez
2,536
37
Bartolo Colón
2,535
38
Félix Hernández
2,524
39
A. J. Burnett
2,513
40
Christy Mathewson †
2,502
41
Jon Lester
2,488
42
Don Drysdale †
2,486
43
Jack Morris †
2,478
44
Mark Langston
2,464
45
Jim Kaat †
2,461
46
Sam McDowell
2,453
47
Andy Pettitte
2,448
48
Jamie Moyer
2,441
49
Luis Tiant
2,416
· List
51
51
Rank
51
Player
Kevin Brown
K
2,397
52
52
Rank
52
Player
Sandy Koufax †
K
2,396
53
53
Rank
53
Player
Charlie Hough
K
2,362
54
54
Rank
54
Player
Robin Roberts †
K
2,357
55
55
Rank
55
Player
Early Wynn †
K
2,334
56
56
Rank
56
Player
Rube Waddell †
K
2,316
57
57
Rank
57
Player
Juan Marichal †
K
2,303
58
58
Rank
58
Player
John Lackey
K
2,294
59
59
Rank
59
Player
Dwight Gooden
K
2,293
60
60
Rank
60
Player
Lefty Grove †
K
2,266
61
61
Rank
61
Player
Gerrit Cole (0)
K
2,251
62
62
Rank
62
Player
Eddie Plank †
K
2,246
63
63
Rank
63
Player
Tommy John
K
2,245
64
64
Rank
64
Player
James Shields
K
2,234
65
65
Rank
65
Player
Jim Palmer †
K
2,212
66
66
Rank
66
Player
Jake Peavy
K
2,207
67
67
Rank
67
Player
Adam Wainwright
K
2,202
68
68
Rank
68
Player
David Wells
K
2,201
69
69
Rank
69
Player
Grover Cleveland Alexander †
K
2,198
70
70
Rank
70
Player
Charlie Morton
K
2,196
71
71
Rank
71
Player
Vida Blue
K
2,175
72
72
Rank
72
Player
Camilo Pascual
K
2,167
73
73
Rank
73
Player
Tim Wakefield
K
2,156
74
74
Rank
74
Player
Dennis Martínez
K
2,149
75
75
Rank
75
Player
Roy Halladay †
K
2,117
76
76
Rank
76
Player
Kevin Millwood
K
2,083
77
77
Rank
77
Player
Bobo Newsom
K
2,082
78
78
Rank
78
Player
Tim Hudson
K
2,080
79
79
Rank
79
Player
David Price
K
2,076
80
80
Rank
80
Player
Yu Darvish (0)
K
2,075
82
82
Rank
82
Player
Fernando Valenzuela
K
2,074
83
83
Rank
83
Player
Madison Bumgarner
K
2,070
84
84
Rank
84
Player
Dazzy Vance †
K
2,045
85
85
Rank
85
Player
Lance Lynn
K
2,015
87
87
Rank
87
Player
Orel Hershiser
K
2,014
88
88
Rank
88
Player
Dan Haren
K
2,013
89
89
Rank
89
Player
Catfish Hunter †
K
2,012
90
90
Rank
90
Player
Kevin Gausman (53)
K
2,007
91
91
Rank
91
Player
Andy Benes
K
2,000
92
92
Rank
92
Player
Billy Pierce
K
1,999
93
93
Rank
93
Player
Kevin Appier
K
1,994
94
94
Rank
94
Player
Johan Santana
K
1,988
95
95
Rank
95
Player
Red Ruffing †
K
1,987
96
96
Rank
96
Player
John Clarkson †
K
1,978
98
98
Rank
98
Player
Liván Hernández
K
1,976
99
99
Rank
99
Player
Al Leiter
K
1,974
100
100
Rank
100
Player
Bob Welch
K
1,969
Rank
Player
K
51
Kevin Brown
2,397
52
Sandy Koufax †
2,396
53
Charlie Hough
2,362
54
Robin Roberts †
2,357
55
Early Wynn †
2,334
56
Rube Waddell †
2,316
57
Juan Marichal †
2,303
58
John Lackey
2,294
59
Dwight Gooden
2,293
60
Lefty Grove †
2,266
61
Gerrit Cole (0)
2,251
62
Eddie Plank †
2,246
63
Tommy John
2,245
64
James Shields
2,234
65
Jim Palmer †
2,212
66
Jake Peavy
2,207
67
Adam Wainwright
2,202
68
David Wells
2,201
69
Grover Cleveland Alexander †
2,198
70
Charlie Morton
2,196
71
Vida Blue
2,175
72
Camilo Pascual
2,167
73
Tim Wakefield
2,156
74
Dennis Martínez
2,149
75
Roy Halladay †
2,117
76
Kevin Millwood
2,083
77
Bobo Newsom
2,082
78
Tim Hudson
2,080
79
David Price
2,076
80
Yu Darvish (0)
2,075
Ryan Dempster
2,075
82
Fernando Valenzuela
2,074
83
Madison Bumgarner
2,070
84
Dazzy Vance †
2,045
85
Lance Lynn
2,015
Rick Reuschel
2,015
87
Orel Hershiser
2,014
88
Dan Haren
2,013
89
Catfish Hunter †
2,012
90
Kevin Gausman (53)
2,007
91
Andy Benes
2,000
92
Billy Pierce
1,999
93
Kevin Appier
1,994
94
Johan Santana
1,988
95
Red Ruffing †
1,987
96
John Clarkson †
1,978
Ervin Santana
1,978
98
Liván Hernández
1,976
99
Al Leiter
1,974

References

  1. Baseball Reference
    https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ryanno01.shtml
  2. Society For American Baseball Research
    https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/cnolan-ryan
  3. "Nolan Ryan Hall of Fame Profile"
    https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/ryan-nolan
  4. Baseball Reference
    https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clemero02.shtml
  5. Stathead
    https://stathead.com/tiny/7WMM0
  6. Baseball Reference
    https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carltst01.shtml
  7. Stathead
    https://stathead.com/tiny/b0SWT
  8. MLB – Career Leaders for Strikeouts
    https://www.mlb.com/stats/pitching/strikeouts/all-time-totals
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