MLB History: A look at the 3,000 K club
CC Sabathia became the 17th player in MLB history with 3000 career strikeouts. Let’s take a look at that list.
On Tuesday, April 30, C.C. Sabathia became only the 17th pitcher in MLB history to record his 3,000th strikeout.
It is almost as much of a pitching milestone as 300 victories since all but Sabathia and two other players who have reached that milestone are enshrined in the Hall of Fame. It is also a very recent benchmark of greatness. Until the early 1980s, only one pitcher in more than 100 seasons of baseball history had reached 3,000 strikeouts. Since Nolan Ryan did it in 1983, Sabathia is the 15th to do so.
Sabathia is only the third left-hander to hit 3,000, joining Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton. He has a chance to move up on the list. He now trails John Smoltz by 82 strikeouts and he would need 114 more this year to catch Curt Schilling. Sabathia struck out 140 last season, so those totals are not out of the question.
The history of the 3,000 strikeout club is a brief one. Until 1983, Walter Johnson – who reached that level in the early 1920s – was its sole member. Since then, however, not only has the 3,000 strikeout club greatly expanded but four pitchers have sailed past 4,000 and Ryan topped 5,000.
In an era when pitchers are discouraged from throwing more than 100 pitches, there’s every reason to anticipate that Ryan’s record may be as durable as any in the record book.
At the same time, the club could continue to expand. Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Zack Greinke are all within 600 strikeouts of 3,000.
Here’s a look at the 17 pitchers who have recorded 3,000 strikeouts, with a special emphasis on their milepost victims.
17. CC Sabathia, 3,002
Sabathia debuted with Cleveland in April of 2001, making Orioles left fielder Mike Kinkade his first strikeout victim in the first inning. He fanned 171 opponents that rookie season, his best single-season total until 2006, when he struck out 172.
Sabathia’s career best was the 251 strikeouts he recorded in 2008, when he went 17-10 for the Indians and Brewers. By then he had already topped the 1,000 mark, doing so for the Indians on May 2, 2007 when he fanned Ichiro Suzuki.
He passed 2,000 while pitching for the Yankees in 2011. In the third inning of an eventual 6-0 defeat, he struck out Angels DH Torii Hunter.
Sabathia’s 2,500th victim was Johnny Giavotella, called out in the fifth inning of a 6-2 Yankee victory on June 7, 2015. He entered 2019 needing just 14 more strikeouts to get to 3,000, and chipped steadily away at the milestone, striking out three White Sox, four Royals and three Angels in his first three starts.
That left him just three shy entering Tuesday’s game against the Diamondbacks. It didn’t take him long. In the second inning, he got David Peralta and Christian Walker looking, then whiffed John Ryan Murphy for his milestone 3,000th. Before retiring in the fifth inning he added Zack Greinke and Murphy a second time to run his total to 3,002.
16. John Smoltz, 3,084
Smoltz debuted as a 21-year-old in July of 1988, but it took him a while to do record a K. The starter in his debut game against the New York Mets, Smoltz went eight innings but fanned only two batters. The first, Darryl Strawberry, took a called third strike leading off the sixth inning.
Smoltz would pick up the pace from there. In his first full season, 1989, he struck out 168, leading the league with 215 in 1992 and with a career-best 276 in 1996. That was the year he won his Cy Young Award on a 24-8 season.
Smoltz passed 1,000 strikeouts on Memorial Day of 1994 during a 4-3 Braves victory over tehe San Francisco Giants. In the bottom of the fourth he fanned the side, getting pitching opponent John Burkett for his 1,000th.
Smoltz entered his June 7, 1999 start against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays needing just one strikeout to reach 2,000, and he got it in the first inning, making Rays catcher John Flaherty his victim. Atlanta went on to win 9-5.
His 3,000th came in the fourth inning of his final season with the Braves, on April 22, 2008. In the fourth inning he struck out Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the way to a 6-0 Braves shutout win in which he went seven innings.
Smoltz finished up with the Red Sox and Cardinals in 2009, making his pitching opponent, Bronson Arroyo, his final victim in the third inning of a 6-1 defeat in which Smoltz took the loss.
15. Curt Schilling, 3,116
Schilling debuted as a September callup for the last-place Orioles in 1988. They sent him out against the Red Sox on Sept. 7 and he lasted seven innings, getting no decision in an eventual Baltimore victory. In the second inning, he struck out the sixth batter he faced, first baseman Todd Bensinger.
In two seasons with Baltimore and one with Houston, Schilling was lightly used. But traded to Philadelphia in 1992, he was installed as a starter and found himself. He struck out 147 batters that season, and a year later fanned 186 in firmly establishing himself as Philadelphia’s ace.
In 1997, possibly Schilli9ng’s most dominant season, he fanned a league-leading and career-best 319 opponents in 254 innings of work. One season later, in a league-leading 268.2 innings that encompassed 15 complete games, Schilling set down 300 batters on strikes.
In the fifth inning of an eventual 4-1 loss to the Dodgers July 26, 1997, Schilling made mound opponent Hideo Nomo his 2,000th strikeout victim.
His 3,000th came on the final day of the 2005 season. Pitching for Boston against the Yankees, Schilling struck out Ruben Sierra to end the sixth inning of an eventual 10-1 Boston victory that tied the Red Sox with New York for the AL East title. Both teams qualified for post-season play, although both also lost in the divisional round.
Schilling retired at the end of the 2007 season, his last regular season strikeout victim being Marco Scutaro, who was called out to end the fourth inning. He is one of two 3,000 strikeout pitchers eligible for the Hall of Fame who has not been enshrined.
14. Bob Gibson, 3,117
The Cardinals promoted Gibson to the majors at the start of the 1959 season. He debuted in relief against Los Angeles April 15, but failed to strike out anyone until getting his first start July 30. Facing Jim O’Toole, Gibson spun a 1-0 shutout that included a strikeout of third baseman Willie Jones in the second inning.
Installed as a rotation regular in 1961, Gibson topped 200 strikeouts for the first of nine times – five of them in succession – in 1962. In the ninth inning of a 6-3 complete game victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates May 16, Gibson made Pirates catcher Jim PagliaronI his 1,000th strikeout victim.
Gibson’s best season was 1968, when he went 22-9 with a 1.12 ERA and a career-best and league-leading 268 strikeouts. On July 13, 1969, he lost a 3-0 duel to Jim Bunning, but in the process fanned Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente back-to-back in the sixth inning for his 1,999th and 2,000th strikeouts.
On July 17, 1974, Gibson reached 3,000 with a second inning strikeout of Cincinnati’s Cesar Geronimo. His final strikeout victim was the game’s all-time hits leader. In a relief appearance August 29, 1975, Gibson fanned Pete Rose to end the sixth inning of a 6-2 Reds victory.
13. Pedro Martinez, 3,154
The last-place Dodgers brought Martinez to the big leagues in September of 1992. Facing the Reds Sept. 24 at Dodger Stadium, he debuted with two innings of mop-up relief that included a strikeout of Reds first baseman Tim Costo.
After one more season of light use in relief, the Dodgers traded Martinez to Montreal. The Expos installed him as a starter, and his career took off. In four seasons with the Expos he went 55-33, striking out 305 batters in 1997.
But the cash-strapped Expos traded Martinez to Boston prior to the 1998 season, and it was in Boston that he enjoyed his best years. In the eighth inning of an April 11, 998 game against thee Mariners, Martinez made catcher Rick Wilkins his 1,000th strikeout victim. One season later he wet 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA and fanned a league-leading and career-best 313. In 2000 his 1.74 ERA led the league again, and he added 284 more whiffs, leading the league a second time.
In the fourth inning of an April 19, 2002 4-0 shutout of the Royals, Martinez made Kansas City outfielder Michael Tucker his 2,000 strikeout victim.
Following the 2004 season, Martinez became a free agent and signed with the Mets. On Sept. 3, 2007, Martinez made Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aaron Harang his 3,000th strikeout victim. His 3,154th and final victim was Houston outfielder Hunter Pence, called out in the third inning of a game Sept. 30, 2009 when Martinez was pitching for the Phillies.
12. Ferguson Jenkins, 3,192
Jenkins was a 19-year-old phenom when the Phillies made him a September callup in 1965. He debuted Sept. 10 with four innings of relief work against the Cardinals. Entering in the eighth inning of a tie game with the potential lead run in scoring position, Jenkins struck out the first batter he faced, Dick Groat, to end the threat, eventually winning in 12 innings.
He was traded during the 1966 season to the Cubs, where Jenkins emerged as the staff ace. Between 1967 and 1975 he averaged an astonishing 302 innings of work, striking out a career-high and league-leading 273 batters in 1969. Between 1967 and 1972, Jenkins never failed to win at least 20 games for the Cubs. He won the Cy Young Award in 1971 when he went 24-13 with a 2.77 ERA in 325 innings of work.
In the second inning of a June 9, 1970 7-3 victory over the San Diego Padres, Jenkins made catcher Chris Cannizzaro his 1,000th strikeout victim.
But fearful of losing Jenkins over a contract dispute, the Cubs traded Jenkins to Texas following the 1973 season. On August 31, 1974, Jenkins shut out the Cleveland Indians 2-0, ending the game with a flourish by making George Hendrick his 2,000th strikeout victim.
Jenkins sandwiched a stint in Boston around two tours with the Rangers before returning to Chicago’s North Side for the 1982 season. He entered a May 25, 1982 start against the Padres needing just one strikeout to reach 3,000, and got it in the third inning when he fanned Garry Templeton. His final whiff came on Sept. 21, 1983. Pitching in middle relief against the Pirates, he struck out mound opponent Cecilio Guante.
11. Phil Niekro, 3,342
Known for his knuckleball, Niekro enjoyed a 24-season major league career that didn’t begin until he was 25. He made 10 relief appearances that season, registering his first strikeout April 18 against the Astros, when he got Bob Aspromonte.
Installed as a starter in 1967, Niekro compiled a league-leading 1.87 ERA and whiffed 129 opponents, In the eighth inning of a 2-1 victory over the Cardinals May 5, 1972, Niekro finally got his 1,000 strikeout, making first baseman Joe Hague the victim. He was already 33, yet not even halfway through his career.
Niekro recorded strikeout 2,000 in the fifth inning of a game with the Expos May 5, 1978, getting outfielder Ellis Valentine.
At the end of the 1983 season, the Braves released the 44-year-old knuckleballer, but he signed a free agent contract with the Yankees. Pitching for New York on July 4, 1984, Nirkro struck out Rangers catcher Donnie Scott to end the fifth inning of an eventual 5-0 Yankee victory for his 3,000th.
Niekro finally retired at the end of the 1987 season when he was 48. Starting for Toronto Aug. 29, he lasted just two-thirds of an inning and allowed five runs, but did manage to strike out Mike Davis. A few days later the Jays released him; he signed with Atlanta at the end of September for one farewell appearance before calling it quits.
Unlike most of the pitchers on this list, Niekro’s strikeout total is primarily a product of his longevity rather than any overpowering period of dominance. Despite nearly a quarter-century of activity, he never led his league in strikeouts.
10. Greg Maddux, 3,371
The Cubs called up Maddux in September of 1986, and he debuted in the 18th inning of a marathon 8-7 defeat at the hands of the Houston Astros. The game began Sept. 2, but was suspended due to darkness after 14 innings at then-unlit Wrigley Field and resumed the following day. Called on in the 18th, Maddux surrendered an eventual game-winning home run to Billy Hatcher before striking out opposing pitcher Danny Darwin to end the inning.
In 1992 he won the first of his four consecutive Cy Young Awards for the Cubs, picking up 20 wins in the process. But Maddux became a free agent that fall and signed with the Braves, becoming the ace of their 1990s dynasty. His 1993, 1994 and 1995 Cy Youngs encompassed 55 wins against only 18 losses with league-leading ERAs all three seasons.
On May 26, 1993, the Reds beat Maddux 4-0, but he did record strikeout number 1,000, getting Randy Milligan in the sixth inning. His 2,000th followed five seasons later. He got it Sept. 8, 1998, the victim being pitching opponent Miguel Batista. Nonetheless, Maddux lost that one as well, 6-3.
When he became a free agent following the 2003 season, Maddux returned to the Cubs, winning 16 games in 2004 and 13 in 2005. In the third inning of a game against San Francisco July 26, 2005, Maddux got Omar Vizquel on a called third strike for his 3,000th strikeout. As with his 1,000th and 2,000th milestones, this one, too, came in a defeat, 3-2.
Maddux ended his career with the Dodgers and Padres. On Sept. 27, 2008, pitching for the Dodgers against San Francisco, Maddux’s mound opponent, Matt Cain, struck out attempting to bunt. It was the 3,371st and final whiff of Maddux’s storied career.
9. Walter Johnson, 3,509
Johnson is an anomaly on the all-time strikeout list. Of the 17 pitchers who have fanned 3,000, he is the only one to have done so prior to the mid 1980s. He assumed the career strikeout lead from Cy Young in 1921 and held that position for more than six decades.
Johnson debuted against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 2, 1907. He pitched eight innings and fanned three. While newspaper accounts do not allow certainty about the identity of his first victim, it appears to have been Tiger infielder Red Downs.
Johnson made a dozen starts that first season, striking out 71, an astonishing total in those days of emphasis on contact. He fanned 160 in 1908, and in 1910 led the league for the first time with a career-high 313 whiffs. Over the course of his 21 seasons with Washington, Johnson would lead the American League in strikeouts a dozen times, topping 300 Ks again in 1912.
On Memorial Day 1912 against the champion-to-be Boston Red Sox, Johnson registered the 1,000th strikeout of his career, his first of 13 whiffs in a 5-0 shutout victory. His 2,000th came June 28, 1916 in a 6-2 defeat of the Red Sox at Griffith Stadium in which Johnson fanned six.
Johnson passed Young’s total of 2,803 strikeouts to set a new record in September of 1921. In the first inning of a Sept. 5 game against the Athletics, he made MLB history by fanning Tilly Walker. His 3,000th came against the Chicago White Sox July 8, 1923.
Johnson led Washington to the franchise’s first World Series victory in 1924, and played a key role in the team’s 1925 American League championship. He retired in 1927, his last strikeout victim being St. Louis Browns third baseman Frank O’Rourke.
8. Gaylord Perry, 3,534
Like Niekro, Perry’ s strikeout total is more a product of his longevity than of dominance. Debuting with the Giants in 1962, he pitched for 22 seasons. Although he never led his league in strikeouts, he did top 200 strikeouts in eight seasons.
Perry’s first came shortly after making the team in April of 1962. The starter, he allowed two second-inning runs but got Tommy Harper to look at a third strike. He lasted less than one more inning having allowed four runs but earned a no decision when the Giants rallied to win 13-6.
He recorded strike 1,000 against the Reds Sept. 28, 1968. In the fourth inning of an eventual 10-6 Giants victory, his mound opponent, Gary Nolan, failed in a sacrifice bunt attempt.
Despite a 23-win season in 1970, the Giants sent Perry to the Cleveland Indians prior to the start of the 1972 season. He won 24 more for the Indians in 1972, leading the league with 29 complete games that year and in 1973. On Aug. 2, 1973, he recorded strikeout 2,000 against the Baltimore Orioles, fanning Boog Powell to open the ninth inning of an eventual 6-0 Cleveland shutout victory.
Nevertheless, in 1975 the Indians sent Perry, 36 by then, to the Texas Rangers. He remained two years and then was traded to the San Diego Padres, where in 1978 he recorded his 3,000th strikeout. It came on the final day of the 1978 season, Perry getting Dodger outfielder Myron White in the sixth inning.
Perry’s final strikeout was recorded pitching for the Kansas City Royals against the California Angels Sept. 21, 1983. He went out in style, getting Rod Carew in the fifth inning.
7. Don Sutton, 3,574
Sutton made the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation as a 21-year-old out of spring training in 1966. His debut was a qualified success, seven strong innings allowing just two earned runs although the Astros won the game 4-2. In the first, he allowed a run but struck out Joe Morgan to end the inning.
Through the remainder of the 1960s and 1970s, Sutton anchored the Dodger rotation. He won 230 games and averaged nearly 250 innings of work. On May 27, 1971, he recorded strikeout No. 1,000, getting Willie Mays on a called third strike in the first inning of an eventual 5-1 Dodger victory.
Atlanta Braves left fielder Tom Paciorek became strikeout victim 2,000 on July 27, 1976 when he fanned in the fourth inning of a 6-2 Dodger win.
Sutton’s tenure with the Dodgers ended when he became a free agent following the 1980 season. He signed with the Houston Astros. But when the Astros fell out of the 1982 pennant race, they sent the 37-year-old pitcher to the Milwaukee Brewers, who hoped to bolster their chances of holding off the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East title. Sutton won four of his seven starts for Milwaukee and helped pitch them to the World Series.
One year later, Sutton recorded his 3,000th strikeout, getting Alan Bannister in the eighth inning of a 6-2 Brewers victory over Cleveland.
Sutton retired in 1988 after returning to the Dodgers. His final appearance, Aug. 9 against Cincinnati, was a 6-0 defeat that included five strikeouts, the last being the final batter he ever faced, Eric Davis.
6. Tom Seaver, 3,640
The Mets brought Seaver to the majors for the start of the 1967 season. He made his first major league start April 13 against the Pirates, fanning Donn Clendenon to end a first inning threat. With the Mets, Seaver would lead the National League in strikeouts five times through 1976, including a personal best 289 in 1971.
On June 29, 1971, Seaver shut out the Phillies 4-0 on four hits, striking out 13. His ninth victim, Willie Montanez, was also the 1,000th of his career. His 2,000th didn’t take long. Just four seasons later, on July 24, 1975, Seaver fanned Cincinnati first baseman Dan Driessen in the second inning of an eventual 2-1 Reds victory.
Concerned about his imminent loss to free agency, the Mets traded their star to Cincinnati in 1977. He won 14 of his 20 starts for the Reds that season. But his strikeout totals began to wane. In 1981, Seaver went 14-2 in 23 starts but fanned a career-low 87 hitters. Still, in the fourth inning of an April 14 game against the Cardinals, Seaver put away Keith Hernandez for his 3,000th strikeout.
Traded back to the Mets following the 1982 season, Seaver played one year with them, and spent his final three with the White Sox and Red Sox. His final strikeout came in his final appearance, Sept. 19, 1986. Pitching for the Red Sox in Toronto, Seaver gave up three runs in four innings of a 6-4 Toronto win. But he did strike out first baseman Willie Upshaw, the second batter he faced.
5. Bert Blyleven, 3,701
Blyleven was a 19-year-old phenom when the Twins called him up to bolster their AL West divisional hopes in June of 1970. He pitched seven strong innings of a 2-1 Minnesota victory over the Washington Senators, striking out seven, starting with Eddie Brinkman in the second.
One year later he would whiff 224, his first of six consecutive 200-strikeout seasons. Blyleven would record eight such seasons over the course of his 22-season career, including a league-leading 206 in 1985.
In the fifth inning of a July 26, 1975 game against the Oakland Athletics, Blyleven got Bert Campaneris for the 1,000th strikeout of his career.
But midway through the 1976 season, the Twins traded Blyleven to the Texas Rangers. He spent two seasons with Texas, then was included in a four-team deal in December of 1977 that sent him to Pittsburgh. With Pittsburgh, Blyleven led the Pirates to the 1979 World Series victory over Baltimore, going 12-5 in 237 innings of work.
He struck out 172 batters that season, among them his 2,000th victim, Houston outfielder Terry Puhl, on July 12.
In the 1980s, Blyleven pitched for the Pirates, Indians, Twins, and Angels. On Aug. 1, 1986, pitching for the Twins against the Oakland A’s, Blyleven produced a 10-1 complete game, 13-strikeout victory. His eighth victim that day, Mike Davis, was also the 3,000th of Blyleven’s career. His last came for the Angels Oct. 4, 1992. Starting the season finale, he worked into the fifth inning, making outfielder Dan Peltier his 3,701st and final victim.
4. Steve Carlton, 4,136
Since Johnson surpassed Young as the career strikeout leader in 1921, only two other men have held the career led. One is the current leader, Nolan Ryan. Carlton is the other.
The Cardinals brought Carlton up in April of 1965. His debut, in relief against the Cubs April 12, featured no strikeouts. Two days later, however, he relieved again, working one inning in a 7-3 loss. He threw two wild pitches but ended the inning by striking out Cubs pitcher Dick Ellsworth. It was a start
Carlton established himself as a rotation fixture at the end of the 1966 season, started 28 times for the World Series winning 1967 team, and won 20 games in 1971. But it was not until his trade to Philadelphia prior to the 1972 season that Carlton exploded as a strikeout threat.
That 1972 season is recalled today as one of the finest in baseball history. Despite pitching for a terrible last place team, Carlton compiled a 27-10 record, a 1.97 ERA, and struck out a league-leading 310. It was his first of six strikeout titles. He won his first of four Cy Young Awards.
From that point on, Carlton raced up the strikeout list. He topped 1,000 on May 7, 1972, getting Giants pitcher Ron Bryant. In the ninth inning of a 5-0 shutout win over the Padres July 10, 1976, Dave Winfield took a called third strike, become Carlton’s 2,000th. On April 29, 1981, he started against the Montreal Expos, needing just three strikeouts to become only the second pitcher ever to record 3,000. It didn’t take long; Carlton set down Tim Raines, Jerry Manuel and Tim Wallach in succession in the first.
For the next three seasons, Carlton and Nolan Ryan essentially raced each other to see which would surpass Johnson in the No. 1 spot. Carlton got his on May 20, 1983 against the Padres, about one month after Ryan. The victim was catcher Doug Gwosdz. He finished the season with 3,709, 26 more than Ryan.
But Carlton was 38 and near the effective end of his career. In 1984 Ryan passed him. Traded to the Giants in 1986, Carlton pitched two more years and recorded his 4,000th strikeout in August, getting Cincinnati’s Eric Davis. He retired in April of 1988. His last strikeout victim was Cleveland first baseman Pat Tabler.
3. Roger Clemens, 4,672
The Red Sox called up Clemens in May of 1984. Making his first start against the Indians in May, he struck out Mike Hargrove to end the first inning. Clemens’ talent was immediately obvious.
Between 1986 and 1992, he never failed to strike out at least 200 batters, leading the league five times and topping out at 292 with Toronto in 1997.
Leading the Red Sox to the 1986 American League pennant, Clemens won 24 games and struck out 238. He added 256 one year later, and in 1989 ran his total to 1,000 with a strikeout of Cleveland’s Brook Jacoby on April 13. He was only 26.
His 2,000th, Yankee Danny Tartabull, followed in 1993, and his 3,000th, off Devil Rays outfielder Randy Winn, on July 5, 1998. Clemens was pitching for the Blue Jays by then, having left Boston through free agency following the 1996 season. In February of 1999, the Blue Jays traded him to the Yankees, where on June 13, 2003 at Yankee Stadium Clemens completed an unprecedented one-game double. In the second inning, he made shortstop Edgar Renteria his 4,000th strikeout victim. When the Yankees delivered Clemens a 5-2 victory, it marked his 300th career win.
Clemens retired in September of 2007, ironically making his final appearance against the Red Sox. In the fourth inning, he made Boston catcher Jason Varitek his 4,672nd and final strikeout victim. For now, he joins Schilling as the only members of this club eligible for the Hall of Fame that have not been enshrined.
2. Randy Johnson, 4,875
The Expos called Johnson to the majors in September of 189. He was a big, wild, hard thrower, and In his debut Sept. 15 against Pittsburgh he walked three but allowed just two runs in five innings. His first strikeout victim was Pirate first baseman Orestes Destrade, who fanned in the second inning.
From the start Johnson was a strikeout specialist, and the only question was whether he could harness his talent. He led the league in strikeouts nine times, including annually with Seattle from 1992 through 1995 and for Arizona from 1999 through 2002.
He won five Cy Young Awards, in 1995 and then annually for the Diamondbacks from 1999 through 2002.
Johnson set a personal strikeout high of 308 for the Mariners in 1993. But when he joined the Diamondbacks at the age of 35 in 1999, he found new life. He struck out 364 in 1999, 347 in 2000, a career high 372 in 2001 and 334 in 2002. He remains the only pitcher ever to have fanned more than 300 batters in four consecutive seasons.
Johnson’s milestone strikeout victims were:
1,000: Chuck Knoblach, Minnesota Twins, July 28, 1993, Twins 5, Mariners1
2,000: Ben Grieve, Oakland A’s, Sept. 27, 1997, Mariners 9, A’s 3
3,000: Luis Castillo, Florida Marlins, Sept. 10, 2000, Marlins 4, Diamondbacks 3
4,000: Jeff Cirillo, San Diego Padres, June 29, 2004, Padres 3, Diamondbacks 2.
1. Nolan Ryan, 5,714
Ryan’s debut for the New York Mets was conspicuous. On Sept 11, 1966, he fanned the first batter he faced, Atlanta pitcher Pat Jarvis. One batter later he also fanned Eddie Mathews.
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The Mets knew all along they had something with Ryan, but his talent only became obvious following his trade to the Angels prior to the 1972 season. He struck out 329 that year. In 1973 Ryan struck out 383 opponents, the most by any major league pitcher since the pitching distance was set at 60 feet six inches in 1893.
On April 27, 1983, pitching for the Astros against Montreal, Johnson recorded his 3,510th strikeout to surpass Walter Johnson as No. 1 on the all-time list. Before the season was out Steve Carlton moved ahead of Ryan, but Ryan caught Carlton in August of 1984 and was never again headed.
Here are the players who provided Ryan’s milestone strikeouts.
1,000: Danny Darwin, Minnesota Twins, June 29, 1973, Twins 4, Angels 0
2,000: Dan Meyer, Detroit Tigers, Aug. 31 1976, Angels 6, Tigers 3
3,000: Dan Driessen, Cincinnati Reds, July 4, 1980, Reds 8, Astros 1
4,000: Rafael Santana, New York Mets, July 11, 1984, Astros 4, Mets 3
5,000: Rob Ducey, Toronto Blue Jays, April 23, 1989, Rangers , Jays 1.
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In the fifth inning of a game against the California Angels Sept. 17, 1993, Ryan fanned catcher Greg Myers, his 5,714th and last victim. He made one further start, that coming five days later against Seattle, but retired after just one inning, having surrendered five runs and failing to strike out anybody.