MLB career strikeout leaders (pitchers)

Regular-season strikeouts only, from starts and relief alike, with nothing from the playoffs counted.

Source MLB, as of 3 September 2026 · career strikeouts

(Major League Baseball Stats API)

Every round of Rank 100 drops a list like this one and asks each player for one entry on it. Get as close to #100 on the list as you can, without going over. #94 is Andy Benes — nobody at your table is saying Andy Benes.

Get Rank 100 on the App Store

Free · iPhone · 2–10 players · no account needed

The full top 100

Jump to #81

Rank	Entry	career strikeouts
#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	3,554
#9	Max Scherzer	3,535
#10	Gaylord Perry	3,534
#11	Walter Johnson	3,508
#12	Greg Maddux	3,371
#13	Phil Niekro	3,342
#14	Fergie 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	Chris Sale	2,756
#28	David Cone	2,668
#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 Vazquez	2,536
#37	Bartolo Colon	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
#50	Dennis Eckersley	2,401
#51	Kevin Brown	2,397
#52	Sandy Koufax	2,396
#53	Charlie Hough	2,362
#54	Gerrit Cole	2,361
#55	Robin Roberts	2,357
#56	Early Wynn	2,334
#57	Rube Waddell	2,316
#58	Juan Marichal	2,303
#59	John Lackey	2,294
#60	Dwight Gooden	2,293
#61	Lefty Grove	2,266
#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 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 Martinez	2,149
#75	Roy Halladay	2,117
#76	Kevin Gausman	2,110
#77	Kevin Millwood	2,083
#78	Bobo Newsom	2,082
#79	Tim Hudson	2,080
#80	David Price	2,076
#81	Ryan Dempster	2,075
#82	Yu Darvish	2,075
#83	Fernando Valenzuela	2,074
#84	Madison Bumgarner	2,070
#85	Sonny Gray	2,053
#86	Dazzy Vance	2,045
#87	Aaron Nola	2,033
#88	Jacob deGrom	2,018
#89	Rick Reuschel	2,015
#90	Lance Lynn	2,015
#91	Orel Hershiser	2,014
#92	Dan Haren	2,013
#93	Catfish Hunter	2,012
#94	Andy Benes	2,000
#95	Billy Pierce	1,999
#96	Kevin Appier	1,994
#97	Johan Santana	1,988
#98	Red Ruffing	1,987
#99	John Clarkson	1,978
#100	Ervin Santana	1,978

No group free tonight? The Daily Challenge is the same idea alone: one list a day, the same for everyone. Each guess must go deeper down the list.

More in Sports

Every list in the game →

Now find out who else knew #94.