Top 5 – Most Career Strikeouts Thrown
By Nick Browne
When it comes to pitchers with nasty, absolutely filthy stuff, these five guys really take the cake. These pitchers are all guys who hitters hated facing and fans loved having on their teams. They could take over a game and retire batters on strikes in the blink of an eye. These are the five pitchers with the most career strikeouts.
Nolan Ryan – 5,714 career strikeouts
“The Ryan Express” was a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher who led his league in strikeouts 11 times. In addition to holding the record for most career strikeouts, he also holds the record for no-hitters with seven.
Randy Johnson – 4,875 career strikeouts
“The Big Unit” was a towering left-hander known for his sizzling fireball. He led his leagues in strikeouts nine times.
Roger Clemens – 4,672 career strikeouts
Nicknamed “Rocket” for his rocket of an arm, Clemens was a stud no matter who he pitched for. He burst onto the scene as a fireballing rookie for the Red Sox in 1984 and never looked back. He led the AL in strikeouts five times.
Steve Carlton – 4,136 career strikeouts
Carlton, nicknamed “Lefty”, is a Baseball Hall of Famer. Most of his best seasons occurred while playing for the Phillies from 1972-1986. He led the NL in strikeouts five times.
Bert Blyleven – 3,701 career strikeouts
Unlike the other pitchers on this list, Blyleven wasn’t a fireballer known for his fastball. Instead, he was best known for his curveball. He played for the Twins, Rangers, Pirates, Indians, and Angels in his career and led the AL in strikeouts just once.