MLB All-Time Strikeout Leaders


All Time MLB Records
Single Season MLB Records
Career BA Leaders Highest BA in a Season
Career Hits Leaders Most Hits in a Season
Career HR Leaders Most HRs in a Season
Career RBI Leaders Most RBIs in a Season
Career Runs Leaders Most Runs in a Season
Career SB Leaders Most SBs in a Season
Career Wins Leaders Most Saves in a Season
Career Saves Leaders Most Strikeout in a Season
Career Strikeout Leaders Lowest ERA in a Season
Career ERA Leaders  

MLB Milestones
No Hitters and Perfect Games 500 Home Run Club
300 Wins Club 3000 Hits Club
3000 Strikeouts Club Triple Crown Winners

Career MLB Strikeout Leaders
Rank Player
Throws
 Team(s)
Strikeouts
1Nolan Ryan
RHP
 New York Mets (1966 - 1971)
California Angels (1972 - 1979)
Houston Astros (1980 - 1988)
Texas Rangers (1989 - 1993)
5,714
2 Randy Johnson
LHP
 Montreal Expos (1988 - 1989)
Seattle Mariners (1989 - 1998)
Houston Astros (1998)
Arizona Diamondbacks (1999 - 2004)
New York Yankees (2005 - 2006)
Arizona Diamondbacks (2007 - 2008)
San Francisco Giants (2009)
4,875
3Roger Clemens 
RHP
 Boston Red Sox (1984 - 1996)
Toronto Blue Jays (1997 - 1998)
New York Yankees (1999 - 2003)
Houston Astros (2004 - 2006)
New York Yankees (2007)
4,672
4Steve Carlton
LHP
 St. Louis Cardinals (1965 - 1971)
Philadelphia Phillies (1972 - 1986)
San Francisco Giants (1986)
Chicago White Sox (1986)
Cleveland Indians (1987)
Minnesota Twins (1987 - 1988)
4,136
5Bert Blyleven 
RHP
 Minnesota Twins (1970 - 1976)
Texas Rangers (1976 - 1977)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1978 - 1980)
Cleveland Indians (1981 - 1985)
Minnesota Twins (1985 - 1988)
California Angels (1990 - 1991)
3,701
6Tom Seaver
RHP
 New York Mets (1967 - 1977)
Cincinnati Reds (1977 - 1982)
New York Mets (1983)
Chicago White Sox (1984 - 1986)
Boston Red Sox (1986)
3,640
7Don Sutton
RHP
 Los Angeles Dodgers (1966 - 1980)
Houston Astros (1981 - 1982)
Milwaukee Brewers (1982 - 1984)
Oakland A's (1985)
California Angels (1985 - 1987)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1988)
3,574
8Gaylord Perry
RHP
 San Francisco Giants (1962 - 1971)
Cleveland Indians (1972 - 1975)
Texas Rangers (1975 - 1977)
San Diego Padres (1978 - 1979)
Texas Rangers (1980)
New York Yankees (1980)
Atlanta Braves (1981)
Seattle Mariners (1982 - 1983)
Kansas City Royals (1983)
3,534
9Walter Johnson
RHP
 Washington Senators (1907 - 1927)
3,509
10 Greg Maddux 
RHP
 Chicago Cubs (1986 - 1992)
Atlanta Braves (1993 - 2003)
Chicago Cubs (2004 - 2006)
Los Angeles Dodgers (2006)
San Diego Padres (2007 - 2008)
Los Angeles Dodgers (2008)
3,371
11Phil Niekro
RHP
 Milwaukee Braves (1964 - 1965)
Atlanta Braves (1966 - 1983)
New York Yankees (1984 - 1985)
Cleveland Indians (1986 - 1987)
Toronto Blue Jays (1987)
Atlanta Braves (1987)
3,342
12Fergie Jenkins
RHP
 Philadelphia Phillies (1965 - 1966)
Chicago Cubs (1966 - 1973)
Texas Rangers (1974 - 1975)
Boston Red Sox (1976 - 1977)
Texas Rangers (1978 - 1981)
Chicago Cubs (1982 - 1983)
3,192
13 Pedro Martinez 
RHP
 Los Angeles Dodgers (1992 - 1993)
Montreal Expos (1994 - 1997)
Boston Red Sox (1998 - 2004)
New York Mets (2005 - present)
3,154
14Bob Gibson
RHP
 St. Louis Cardinals (1959 - 1975)
3,117
15 Curt Schilling 
RHP
 Baltimore Orioles (1988 - 1990)
Houston Astros (1991)
Philadelphia Phillies (1992 - 2000)
Arizona Diamondbacks (2000 - 2003)
Boston Red Sox (2004 - 2007)
3,116
16 John Smoltz 
RHP
 Atlanta Braves (1988 - 2008)
Boston Red Sox (2009)
St. Louis Cardinals (2009)
3,084
17Jim Bunning
RHP
 Detroit Tigers (1955 - 1963)
Philadelphia Phillies (1964 - 1967)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1968 - 1969)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1969)
Philadelphia Phillies (1970 - 1971)
2,855
18Mickey Lolich
LHP
 Detroit Tigers (1963 - 1975)
New York Mets (1976)
San Diego Padres (1978 - 1979)
2,832
19 Mike Mussina 
RHP
 Baltimore Orioles (1991 - 2000)
New York Yankees (2001 - present)
2,813
20Cy Young
RHP
 Cleveland Spiders (1890 - 1898)
St. Louis Perfectos (1899 - 1890)
Boston Americans (1901 - 1907)
Boston Red Sox (1908)
Cleveland Naps (1909 - 1911)
Boston Rustlers (1911)
2,803
21Frank Tanana
LHP
 California Angels (1973 - 1980)
Boston Red Sox (1981)
Texas Rangers (1982 - 1985)
Detroit Tigers (1985 - 1992)
New York Mets (1993)
New York Yankees (1993)
2,773
22David Cone 
RHP
 Kansas City Royals (1986)
New York Mets (1987 - 1992)
Kansas City Royals (1993 - 1994)
Toronto Blue Jays (1995)
New York Yankees (1995 - 2000)
Boston Red Sox (2001)
New York Mets (2003)
2,668
23Chuck Finley
LHP
 California Angels (1986 - 1996)
Anaheim Angels (1997 - 1999)
Cleveland Indians (2000 - 2002)
St. Louis Cardinals (2002)
2,610
24 Tom Glavine
LHP
 Atlanta Braves (1987 - 2002)
New York Mets (2003 - 2007)
Atlanta Braves (2008)
2,607
25Warren Spahn
LHP
 Boston Braves (1942 - 1952)
Milwaukee Braves (1953 - 1964)
New York Mets (1965)
San Francisco Giants (1965)
2,583
26Bob Feller
RHP
 Cleveland Indians (1936 - 1956)
2,581
27Tim Keefe
RHP
 Troy Trojans (1880 - 1882)
New York Metropolitans (1883 - 1884)
New York Giants (1885 - 1891)
Philadelphia Phillies (1891 - 1893)
2,562
28Jerry Koosman
LHP
 New York Mets (1967 - 1978)
Minnesota Twins (1979 - 1981)
Chicago White Sox (1981 - 1983)
Philadelphia Phillies (1984 - 1985)
2,556
29 * Javier Vazquez
RHP
 Montreal Expos (1998 - 2003)
New York Yankees (2004)
Arizona Diamondbacks (2005)
Chicago White Sox (2006 - 2008)
Atlanta Braves (2009)
New York Yankees (2010)
Florida Marlins (2011)
2,536
30Christy Mathewson
RHP
 New York Giants (1900 - 1916)
Cincinnati Reds (1916)
2,502
31Don Drysdale
RHP
 Brooklyn Dodgers (1956 - 1957)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1958 - 1969)
2,486
32Jack Morris 
RHP
 Detroit Tigers (1977 - 1990)
Minnesota Twins (1991)
Toronto Blue Jays (1992 - 1993)
Cleveland Indians (1994)
2,478
33Mark Langston
LHP
 Seattle Mariners (1984 - 1989)
Montreal Expos (1989)
California Angels (1990 - 1996)
Anaheim Angels (1997)
San Diego Padres (1998)
Cleveland Indians (1999)
2,464
34Jim Kaat
LHP
 Washington Senators (1959 - 1960)
Minnesota Twins (1961 - 1973)
Chicago White Sox (1973 - 1975)
Philadelphia Phillies (1976 - 1979)
New York Yankees (1979 - 1980)
St. Louis Cardinals (1980 - 1983)
2,461
35Sam McDowell
LHP
 Cleveland Indians (1961 - 1971)
San Francisco Giants (1972 - 1973)
New York Yankees (1973 - 1974)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1975)
2,453
36Luis Tiant 
RHP
 Cleveland Indians (1964 - 1969)
Minnesota Twins (1970)
Boston Red Sox (1971 - 1978)
New York Yankees (1979 - 1980)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1981)
California Angels (1982)
2,416
37 Jamie Moyer
LHP
 Chicago Cubs (1986 - 1988)
Texas Rangers (1989 - 1990)
St. Louis Cardinals (1991)
Baltimore Orioles (1992 - 1995)
Boston Red Sox (1996)
Seattle Mariners (1996 - 2006)
Philadelphia Phillies (2006 - present)
2,405
38Dennis Eckersley
RHP
 Cleveland Indians (1975 - 1977)
Boston Red Sox (1978 - 1984)
Chicago Cubs (1984 - 1985)
Oakland A's (1987 - 1995)
St. Louis Cardinals (1996 - 1997)
Boston Red Sox (1998)
2,401
39Kevin Brown 
RHP
 Texas Rangers (1986 - 1994)
Baltimore Orioles (1995)
Florida Marlins (1996 - 1997)
San Diego Padres (1998)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1999 - 2003)
New York Yankees (2004 - 2005)
2,397
40Sandy Koufax
LHP
 Brooklyn Dodgers (1955 - 1957)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1958 - 1966)
2,396
41Charlie Hough 
RHP
 Los Angeles Dodgers (1970 - 1980)
Texas Rangers (1980 - 1990)
Chicago White Sox (1991 - 1992)
Florida Marlins (1993 - 1994)
2,362
42Robin Roberts
RHP
 Philadelphia Phillies (1948 - 1961)
Baltimore Orioles (1962 - 1965)
Houston Astros (1965 - 1966)
Chicago Cubs (1966)
2,357
43Early Wynn
RHP
 Washington Senators (1939 - 1948)
Cleveland Indians (1949 - 1957)
Chicago White Sox (1958 - 1962)
Cleveland Indians (1963)
2,334
44Rube Waddell
LHP
 Louisville Colonels (1897, 1899)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1900 - 1901)
Chicago Cubs (1901)
Philadelphia Athletics (1902 - 1907)
St. Louis Browns (1908 - 1910)
2,316
45Juan Marichal
RHP
 San Francisco Giants (1960 - 1973)
Boston Red Sox (1974)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1975)
2,303
46Dwight Gooden 
RHP
 New York Mets (1984 - 1994)
New York Yankees (1996 - 1997)
Cleveland Indians (1998 - 1999)
Houston Astros (2000)
Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2000)
New York Yankees (2000)
2,293
47Lefty Grove
LHP
 Philadelphia Athletics (1925 - 1933)
Boston Red Sox (1934 - 1941)
2,266
48 Andy Pettitte
LHP
 New York Yankees (1995 - 2003)
Houston Astros (2004 - 2006)
New York Yankees (2007 - present)
2,251
49Eddie Plank
LHP
 Philadelphia Athletics (1901 - 1914)
St. Louis Terriers (1915) *Federal League
St. Louis Brown (1916 - 1917)
2,246
50Tommy John
LHP
 Cleveland Indians (1963 - 1964)
Chicago White Sox (1965 - 1971)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1972 - 1978)
**Did not pitch in 1975
New York Yankees (1979 - 1982)
California Angels (1982 - 1985)
Oakland Athletics (1985)
New York Yankees (1986 - 1989)
2,245
51Jim Palmer
RHP
 Baltimore Orioles (1965 - 1984)
2,212
52David Wells
LHP
 Toronto Blue Jays (1987 - 1992)
Detroit Tigers (1993 - 1995)
Cincinnati Reds (1995)
Baltimore Orioles (1996)
New York Yankees (1997 - 1998)
Toronto Blue Jays (1999 - 2000)
Chicago White Sox (2001)
New York Yankees (2002 - 2003)
San Diego Padres (2004)
Boston Red Sox (2005 - 2006)
San Diego Padres (2006 - 2007)
Los Angeles Dodgers (2007)
2,201
53Pete Alexander
RHP
 Philadelphia Phillies (1911 - 1917)
Chicago Cubs (1918 - 1926)
St. Louis Cardinals (1926 - 1929)
Philadelphia Phillies (1930)
2,198
54Vida Blue
LHP
 Oakland Athletics (1969 - 1977)
San Francisco Giants (1978 - 1981)
Kansas City Royals (1982 - 1983)
San Francisco Giants (1985 - 1986)
2,175
55Camilo Pascual 
RHP
 Washington Senators (1954 - 1960)
Minnesota Twins (1961 - 1966)
Washington Senators (1967 - 1969)
Cincinnati Reds (1969)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1970)
Cleveland Indians (1971)
2,167
56 Tim Wakefield
RHP
 Pittsburgh Pirates (1992 - 1993)
Boston Red Sox (1994 - present)
2,156
57Dennis Martinez 
RHP
 Baltimore Orioles (1976 - 1986)
Montreal Expos (1986 - 1993)
Cleveland Indians (1994 - 1996)
Seattle Mariners (1997)
Atlanta Braves (1998)
2,149
58Bobo Newsom 
RHP
 Brooklyn Robins (1929 - 1930)
Chicago Cubs (1932)
St. Louis Browns (1934 - 1935)
Washington Senators (1935 - 1937)
Boston Red Sox (1937)
St. Louis Browns (1938 - 1939)
Detroit Tigers (1939 - 1941)
Washington Senators (1942)
Brooklyn Dodgers (1942 - 1943)
St. Louis Browns (1943)
Washington Senators (1943)
Philadelphia Athletics (1944 - 1946)
Washington Senators (1946 - 1947)
New York Yankees (1947)
New York Giants (1948)
Washington Senators (1952)
Philadelphia Athletics (1952 - 1953)
2,082
59Fernando Valenzuela
LHP
 Los Angeles Dodgers (1980 - 1990)
California Angels (1991)
Baltimore Orioles (1993)
Philadelphia Phillies (1994)
San Diego Padres (1995 - 1996)
St. Louis Cardinals (1997)
2,074
60Dazzy Vance
RHP
 Pittsburgh Pirates (1915)
New York Yankees (1915, 1918)
Brooklyn Robins (1922 - 1931)
Brooklyn Dodgers (1932)
St. Louis Cardinals (1933 - 1934)
Cincinnati Reds (1934)
Brooklyn Dodgers (1935)
2,045
61 * CC Sabathia
LHP
 Cleveland Indians (2001 - 2008)
Milwaukee Brewers (2008)
New York Yankees (2009 - present)
2,017
61Rick Reuschel 
RHP
 Chicago Cubs (1972 - 1981)
New York Yankees (1981)
Chicago Cubs (1983 - 1984)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1985 - 1987)
San Francisco Giants (1988 - 1991)
2,015
62Orel Hershiser 
RHP
 Los Angeles Dodgers (1983 - 1994)
Cleveland Indians (1995 - 1997)
San Francisco Giants (1998)
New York Mets (1999)
Los Angeles Dodgers (2000)
2,014
63Catfish Hunter
RHP
 Kansas City Athletics (1965 - 1967)
Oakland Athletics (1968 - 1974)
New York Yankees (1975 - 1979)
2,012
64Andy Benes 
RHP
 San Diego Padres (1989 - 1995)
Seattle Mariners (1995)
St. Louis Cardinals (1996 - 1997)
Arizona Diamondbacks (1998 - 1999)
St. Louis Cardinals (2000 - 2002)
2,000

* Denotes active player
Updated: Oct. 20th 2011

Sources:
baseball-reference.com
baseball-almanac.com
wikipedia.org
thebaseballcube.com