Single Season Leaders for Strikeouts

Single season strikeout kings are the theme on this page and a tale once told by an umpire had Walter Johnson pitching with two strikes on a young batter who turned and walked towards the dugout. The umpire reminded the player that he had a strike left to which the player replied, "You can call it, I didn't see the first two."

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present the top one-hundred (100) pitchers who have thrown more strikes during a single season of play than any other pitchers in Major League history. Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.
"Every hitter likes fastballs just like everybody likes ice cream. But you don't like it when someone's stuffing it into you by the gallon. That's how you feel when Ryan's throwing balls by you." - Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson
Strikeouts
Single Season Leaders

'Top 100'
Matt Kilroy 513 1886 Baltimore Orioles AA 1
Toad Ramsey 499 1886 Louisville Colonels AA 2
Hugh Daily 483 1884 Chicago Browns UA 3
Washington Nationals UA
Dupee Shaw 451 1884 Boston Unions UA 4
Detroit Wolverines NL
Old Hoss Radbourn 441 1884 Providence Grays NL 5
Charlie Buffinton 417 1884 Boston Beaneaters NL 6
Guy Hecker 385 1884 Louisville Colonels AA 7
Nolan Ryan 383 1973 California Angels AL 8
Sandy Koufax 382 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers NL 9
Bill Sweeney 374 1884 Baltimore Monumentals UA 10
Randy Johnson 372 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks NL 11
Pud Galvin 369 1884 Buffalo Bisons NL 12
Mark Baldwin 368 1889 Columbus Colts AA 13
Nolan Ryan 367 1974 California Angels AL 14
Randy Johnson 364 1999 Arizona Diamondbacks NL 15
Tim Keefe 359 1883 New York Metropolitans AA 16
Toad Ramsey 355 1887 Louisville Colonels AA 17
Rube Waddell 349 1904 Philadelphia Athletics AL 18
Bob Feller 348 1946 Cleveland Indians AL 19
Randy Johnson 347 2000 Arizona Diamondbacks NL 20
Hardie Henderson 346 1884 Baltimore Orioles AA 21
Mickey Welch 345 1884 New York Gothams NL 22
Jim Whitney 345 1883 Boston Beaneaters NL  
Jim McCormick 343 1884 Cleveland Blues NL 24
Cincinnati Outlaw Reds UA
Amos Rusie 341 1890 New York Giants NL 25
Nolan Ryan 341 1977 California Angels AL  
Amos Rusie 337 1891 New York Giants NL 27
Charlie Sweeney 337 1884 Providence Grays NL  
St. Louis Maroons UA
Tim Keefe 335 1888 New York Giants NL 29
Randy Johnson 334 2002 Arizona Diamondbacks NL 30
Tim Keefe 334 1884 New York Metropolitans AA  
Randy Johnson 329 1998 Houston Astros NL 32
Seattle Mariners AL
Nolan Ryan 329 1972 California Angels AL  
Nolan Ryan 327 1976 California Angels AL 34
Ed Morris 326 1886 Pittsburgh Alleghenys AA 35
Sam McDowell 325 1965 Cleveland Indians AL 36
Tony Mullane 325 1884 Toledo Blue Stockings AA  
Lady Baldwin 323 1886 Detroit Wolverines NL 38
Curt Schilling 319 1997 Philadelphia Phillies NL 39
Sandy Koufax 317 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers NL 40
Curt Schilling 316 2002 Arizona Diamondbacks NL 41
Old Hoss Radbourn 315 1883 Providence Grays NL 42
Bill Hutchison 314 1892 Chicago Colts NL 43
John Clarkson 313 1886 Chicago White Stockings NL 44
Walter Johnson 313 1910 Washington Senators AL  
Pedro Martinez 313 1999 Boston Red Sox AL  
J.R. Richard 313 1979 Houston Astros NL  
Steve Carlton 310 1972 Philadelphia Phillies NL 48
John Clarkson 308 1885 Chicago White Stockings NL 49
Randy Johnson 308 1993 Seattle Mariners AL  
Mickey Lolich 308 1971 Detroit Tigers AL  
Larry McKeon 308 1884 Indianapolis Blues AA  
Sandy Koufax 306 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers NL 53
Mike Scott 306 1986 Houston Astros NL  
Pedro Martinez 305 1997 Montreal Expos NL 55
Sam McDowell 304 1970 Cleveland Indians AL 56
Walter Johnson 303 1912 Washington Senators AL 57
J.R. Richard 303 1978 Houston Astros NL  
Ed Morris 302 1884 Columbus Colts AA 59
Rube Waddell 302 1903 Philadelphia Athletics AL  
Vida Blue 301 1971 Oakland Athletics AL 61
Nolan Ryan 301 1989 Texas Rangers AL  
Curt Schilling 300 1998 Philadelphia Phillies NL 63
Ed Morris 298 1885 Pittsburgh Alleghenys AA 64
Tim Keefe 297 1886 New York Giants NL 65
Randy Johnson 294 1995 Seattle Mariners AL 66
Curt Schilling 293 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks NL 67
Roger Clemens 292 1997 Toronto Blue Jays AL 68
Jack Lynch 292 1884 New York Metropolitans AA  
Roger Clemens 291 1988 Boston Red Sox AL 70
Randy Johnson 291 1997 Seattle Mariners AL  
Sadie McMahon 291 1890 Baltimore Orioles AA  
Philadelphia Athletics AA
Randy Johnson 290 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks NL 73
Bill Hutchison 289 1890 Chicago Colts NL 74
Tom Seaver 289 1971 New York Mets NL  
Jack Stivetts 289 1890 St. Louis Browns AA  
Amos Rusie 288 1892 New York Giants NL 77
Rube Waddell 287 1905 Philadelphia Athletics AL 78
Steve Carlton 286 1982 Philadelphia Phillies NL 79
Steve Carlton 286 1980 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Bobby Mathews 286 1885 Philadelphia Athletics AA  
Bobby Mathews 286 1884 Philadelphia Athletics AA  
John Clarkson 284 1889 Boston Beaneaters NL 83
Pedro Martinez 284 2000 Boston Red Sox AL  
Billy Taylor 284 1884 Philadelphia Athletics AA  
St. Louis Maroons UA
Dave Foutz 283 1886 St. Louis Browns AA 86
Sam McDowell 283 1968 Cleveland Indians AL  
Tom Seaver 283 1970 New York Mets NL  
Denny McLain 280 1968 Detroit Tigers AL 89
Pud Galvin 279 1883 Buffalo Bisons NL 90
Sam McDowell 279 1969 Cleveland Indians AL  
Dwight Gooden 276 1984 New York Mets NL 92
John Smoltz 276 1996 Atlanta Braves NL  
Bob Veale 276 1965 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Steve Carlton 275 1983 Philadelphia Phillies NL 95
Hal Newhouser 275 1946 Detroit Tigers AL  
Bob Gibson 274 1970 St. Louis Cardinals NL 97
Fergie Jenkins 274 1970 Chicago Cubs NL  
Mario Soto 274 1982 Cincinnati Reds NL  
Fergie Jenkins 273 1969 Chicago Cubs NL 100
Current Through End of 2007 Regular Season


Nolan Ryan, who is the all time strikeout king with five-thousand seven-hundred fourteen (5,714) whiffs, appears first at number seven (7) then continues to appear throughout the top one-hundred five (5) additional times.

It is hard to believe, but did you know that Nolan Ryan, who pitched seven (7) Major League no-hitters, led the league in strikeouts several times, and dominated the mound like few have ever seen, never once won a Cy Young Award?

The first 3,000 Strikeouts Club memorabilia show was conducted in 1998 at Atlantic City in New Jersey. Do you know by memory which of these single season leaders for strikeouts are members (click the link to see the entire club)?
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