The top 10 Best Strikeout Pitchers in MLB History

By Oliver Wiener July 31, 2024 11:48

Photo by Getty Images

Strikeouts have always been a key part of Major League Baseball (MLB) in terms of measuring how effective pitchers can be against batters. While the strikeout is a skill and an important aspect in evaluating pitchers, it also directly impacts how effective that pitcher truly can be. This article will look at the ten best strikeout pitchers of all time. We checked on their career stats and how they change strikeouts in baseball.

1. Nolan Ryan

Full Name: Nolan Ryan
Years Played: 1966–1993
Teams: New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers
Career Strikeouts: 5,714

The record for career strikeouts is held by the great Nolan Ryan, widely considered one of if not the greatest strikeout pitcher in major league history, with 5,714 strikeouts during his 27-year career.

Key Statistics and Analysis

Highest Single-Season Total: 383 in 1973
Strikeout Rate: 9.55 K/9

Key Seasons: Ryan struck out over 300 in a season many times, doing so three more after 1977, but other modern pitchers never even came close, producing all-time great stretches of high strikeout totals at low rates.

2. Randy Johnson

Full Name: Randy Johnson
Years Played: 1988–2009
Teams: Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees
Career Strikeouts: 4,875
Nickname: The Big Unit Johnson

One of baseball’s most dominant left-handed pitchers of all time. The 6’10” pitcher used his height and delivery as a weapon that tormented batters. He was known for his high-velocity fastball and killer slider.

Key Stats and Analysis

Single-season high: 372 strikeouts in 2001.
Strikeout Rate: 10.61 K/9

Johnson won five CY Young Awards from 1994-2002 and, in 2001, he won two MVP awards as his devastating slider made it nearly impossible to make contact against him. His career includes a perfect game and World Series MVP.

3. Roger Clemens

Career Strikeouts: 4,672
Full Name: Roger Clemens

Clemens is a seven-time CY Young Award winner that ranks as the third most K in MLB history. While his legacy is controversial due to steroid allegations and the suspected use of PEDs, Clemens was still one of the league's most powerful and feared pitchers during his time.

Key Stats and Analysis

Single-season high: 512 strikeouts in 1996,
Strikeout Rate: 8.59 K/9

Clemens had multiple seasons with over 250 strikeouts, particularly with the Boston Red Sox. Clemens had a 24-year career and won the World Series twice or thrice.

4. Steve Carlton

His tough, diving slider and slowly breaking changeup made every hitter come up from the plate.

Key Statistics and Analysis

Single-Season High: 310 strikeouts, 1972
Strikeout Rate: 8.55 K/9
Peak Seasons: Carlton won his Cy Youngs in 1972, '77, and '80 seasons, evidence of a career that thrived through two decades.

His impact on the game three decades after his retirement was immense, as Carlton became one of the earliest pitchers to show major league pitchers that strikeouts were a valuable part of their arsenal. His durability and reliability made him an all-time great.

5. Bert Blyleven

Years Played: 1970–1992
Teams: Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians, and California Angels

Key Statistics and Analysis

Single-Season High: 263 in 1973
Strikeout Rate: 7.67 SO/9
Key Seasons: Two-time All-Star Blyleven was instrumental in the Twins' 1987 World Series title.

Beyond the strikeouts, Blyleven changed the game with his command and mastery of spin, creating paths for future hurlers by embracing some ways to carve up opposing lineups.

6. Tom Seaver

Years Played: 1967–1986
Teams: New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago White Sox
All-time Career Strikeouts: 3,640 (6th)

Tom Seaver sits sixth on the career strikeouts list with 3,640 punches. Great power combined with great finesse would make him one of the more effective pitchers during his era.

Key Statistics and Analysis

Single-Season Best: 300 Ks in 1970
Strikeout Rate: 8.43 SO/9

Seaver captured three Cy Young Awards while being a central figure on the New York Mets team that won the 1969 World Series.

He helped change the face of baseball, raising the bar for those who would follow him into MLB rotations. He used two fastballs and breaking pitches to dominate hitters.

7. Don Sutton

Years Played: 1966–1988
Teams: Dodgers, Astros, Brewers, A's
Career Strikeouts: 3,574

Don Sutton is a reliable workhorse who ranks seventh on the list with 3,574 Ks. His durability and the fact that he averaged around six or seven innings per start during his career were sought-after benefits for those teams on which we worked.

Key Statistics and Analysis

Highest in a season: 239 strikeouts, 1970
Strikeout Rate: 7.76 K/9

Sutton's impact on the game stretched far beyond his strikeout numbers, and he was among the first pitchers to invest time in advanced scouting and analytics, which would influence succeeding generations of arms.

8. Gaylord Perry

Years Played: 1962–1983
Current team: San Francisco Giants (2013-present)
Past teams: Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres., New York Yankees
Career Strikeouts: 3,534

Key Statistics and Analysis

Single-Season High: 265 K, in 1970
Strikeout Rate: 6.97 K/9
Key Seasons: Perry was instrumental in the Giants' success during the 1960s, winning two Cy Young Awards.

9. Walter Johnson

Years Played: 1907–1927
Teams: Washington Senators
Career Strikeouts: 3,508 (9th)

The Big Train, Walter Johnson, 3,508 career strikeouts-tied for ninth. He threw one of the fastest fastballs in baseball history, and was among the first pitchers to top 90 mph regularly.

Key Statistics and Analysis

Season High: 350 strikeouts in 1910
Strikeout Rate: 8.43 K/9
Key Seasons: Johnson - a two-time MVP and integral member of any early-20th century Senators success squad.

Johnson had a massive impact on the game, as seen in his reaching 417 wins, and he very much set the standard for what future generations of pitchers were capable of. His mastery over hitters with both fastballs and breaking pitches cemented his legacy.

10. Max Scherzer

Years Played: 2008–present
teams - Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Texas Rangers
Total Strikeouts: 3,405

Key Statistics and Analysis

Seasons high: 300 in 2018
Strikeout Rate: 11.25 K/9
Significant Seasons: Scherzer has three Cy Youngs and helped the Nationals win their 2019 World Series and the Texas Ranges in 2023.

The ripple effect of what Scherzer has done for the game is ongoing, with addendums to his substantial strikeout numbers growing. His pitching style has evolved to maintain an effectiveness that few starters could match in their late 30s.

These ten men are the top strikeout pitchers in baseball history, and they remind us that strikeouts matter when we talk about dominance at a professional level. Their legacies will inspire generations of pitchers to come that the strikeout pitch in baseball history knows no equal.