Strikeouts Year-By-Year Leaders by Baseball Almanac

Year by Year Leaders for Strikeouts

Ever wonder who had the most strikeouts the year you were born? How about pitchers from you favorite team — have they ever led the league in strikeouts? Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a year-by-year leaderboard in Major League strikeouts for every season since 1901. Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.

"I know they're loaded. Did you think I thought they gave me an extra infield?" - Strikeouts Leader (1933-1934 & 1937) / Hall of Famer Lefty Gomez

Strikeouts Year-By-Year Leaders '1901 to 1901'
Year	American League	K	Team(s)	Year	National League	K	Team(s)
1901	Cy Young	158	Boston	1901	Noodles Hahn	239	Cincinnati
1902	Rube Waddell	210	Philadelphia	1902	Vic Willis	225	Boston
1903	Rube Waddell	302	Philadelphia	1903	Christy Mathewson	267	New York
1904	Rube Waddell	349	Philadelphia	1904	Christy Mathewson	212	New York
1905	Rube Waddell	287	Philadelphia	1905	Christy Mathewson	206	New York
1906	Rube Waddell	196	Philadelphia	1906	Big Jeff Pfeffer	158	Boston
1907	Rube Waddell	232	Philadelphia	1907	Christy Mathewson	178	New York
1908	Ed Walsh	269	Chicago	1908	Christy Mathewson	259	New York
1909	Frank Smith	177	Chicago	1909	Orval Overall	205	Chicago
1910	Walter Johnson	313	Washington	1910	Earl Moore	185	Philadelphia
1911	Ed Walsh	255	Chicago	1911	Rube Marquard	237	New York
1912	Walter Johnson	303	Washington	1912	Grover Alexander	195	Philadelphia
1913	Walter Johnson	243	Washington	1913	Tom Seaton	168	Philadelphia
1914	Walter Johnson	225	Washington	1914	Grover Alexander	214	Philadelphia
1915	Walter Johnson	203	Washington	1915	Grover Alexander	241	Philadelphia
1916	Walter Johnson	228	Washington	1916	Grover Alexander	167	Philadelphia
1917	Walter Johnson	188	Washington	1917	Grover Alexander	200	Philadelphia
1918	Walter Johnson	162	Washington	1918	Hippo Vaughn	148	Chicago
1919	Walter Johnson	147	Washington	1919	Hippo Vaughn	141	Chicago
1920	Stan Coveleski	133	Cleveland	1920	Grover Alexander	173	Chicago
1921	Walter Johnson	143	Washington	1921	Burleigh Grimes	146	Brooklyn
1922	Urban Shocker	149	St. Louis	1922	Dazzy Vance	134	Brooklyn
1923	Walter Johnson	130	Washington	1923	Dazzy Vance	197	Brooklyn
1924	Walter Johnson	158	Washington	1924	Dazzy Vance	262	Brooklyn
1925	Lefty Grove	116	Philadelphia	1925	Dazzy Vance	221	Brooklyn
1926	Lefty Grove	194	Philadelphia	1926	Dazzy Vance	140	Brooklyn
1927	Lefty Grove	174	Philadelphia	1927	Dazzy Vance	184	Brooklyn
1928	Lefty Grove	183	Philadelphia	1928	Dazzy Vance	200	Brooklyn
1929	Lefty Grove	170	Philadelphia	1929	Pat Malone	166	Chicago
1930	Lefty Grove	209	Philadelphia	1930	Bill Hallahan	177	St. Louis
1931	Lefty Grove	175	Philadelphia	1931	Bill Hallahan	159	St. Louis
1932	Red Ruffing	190	New York	1932	Dizzy Dean	191	St. Louis
1933	Lefty Gomez	163	New York	1933	Dizzy Dean	199	St. Louis
1934	Lefty Gomez	158	New York	1934	Dizzy Dean	195	St. Louis
1935	Tommy Bridges	163	Detroit	1935	Dizzy Dean	190	St. Louis
1936	Tommy Bridges	175	Detroit	1936	Van Mungo	238	Brooklyn
1937	Lefty Gomez	194	New York	1937	Carl Hubbell	159	New York
1938	Bob Feller	240	Cleveland	1938	Clay Bryant	135	Chicago
1939	Bob Feller	246	Cleveland	1939	Bucky Walters	137	Cincinnati
					Claude Passeau		Philadelphia
					Claude Passeau		Chicago
1940	Bob Feller	261	Cleveland	1940	Kirby Higbe	137	Philadelphia
1941	Bob Feller	260	Cleveland	1941	Johnny Vander Meer	202	Cincinnati
1942	Tex Hughson	113	Boston	1942	Johnny Vander Meer	186	Cincinnati
1942	Bobo Newsom	113	Washington	1942	Johnny Vander Meer	186	Cincinnati
1943	Allie Reynolds	151	Cleveland	1943	Johnny Vander Meer	174	Cincinnati
1944	Hal Newhouser	187	Detroit	1944	Bill Voiselle	161	New York
1945	Hal Newhouser	212	Detroit	1945	Preacher Roe	148	Pittsburgh
1946	Bob Feller	348	Cleveland	1946	Johnny Schmitz	135	Chicago
1947	Bob Feller	196	Cleveland	1947	Ewell Blackwell	193	Cincinnati
1948	Bob Feller	164	Cleveland	1948	Harry Brecheen	149	St. Louis
1949		1948	Harry Brecheen	149	St. Louis
1949	Virgil Trucks	153	Detroit	1949	Warren Spahn	151	Boston
1950	Bob Lemon	170	Cleveland	1950	Warren Spahn	191	Boston
1951	Vic Raschi	164	New York	1951	Don Newcombe	164	Brooklyn
1951	Vic Raschi	164	New York	1951	Warren Spahn	164	Boston
1952	Allie Reynolds	160	New York	1952	Warren Spahn	183	Boston
1953	Billy Pierce	186	Chicago	1953	Robin Roberts	198	Philadelphia
1954	Bob Turley	185	Baltimore	1954	Robin Roberts	185	Philadelphia
1955	Herb Score	245	Cleveland	1955	Sam Jones	198	Chicago
1956	Herb Score	263	Cleveland	1956	Sam Jones	176	Chicago
1957	Early Wynn	184	Cleveland	1957	Jack Sanford	188	Philadelphia
1958	Early Wynn	179	Chicago	1958	Sam Jones	225	St. Louis
1959	Jim Bunning	201	Detroit	1959	Don Drysdale	242	Los Angeles
1960	Jim Bunning	201	Detroit	1960	Don Drysdale	246	Los Angeles
1961	Camilo Pascual	221	Minnesota	1961	Sandy Koufax	269	Los Angeles
1962	Camilo Pascual	206	Minnesota	1962	Don Drysdale	232	Los Angeles
1963	Camilo Pascual	202	Minnesota	1963	Sandy Koufax	306	Los Angeles
1964	Al Downing	217	New York	1964	Bob Veale	250	Pittsburgh
1965	Sam McDowell	325	Cleveland	1965	Sandy Koufax	382	Los Angeles
1966	Sam McDowell	225	Cleveland	1966	Sandy Koufax	317	Los Angeles
1967	Jim Lonborg	256	Boston	1967	Jim Bunning	253	Philadelphia
1968	Sam McDowell	283	Cleveland	1968	Bob Gibson	268	St. Louis
1969	Sam McDowell	279	Cleveland	1969	Fergie Jenkins	273	Chicago
1970	Sam McDowell	304	Cleveland	1970	Tom Seaver	283	New York
1971	Mickey Lolich	308	Detroit	1971	Tom Seaver	289	New York
1972	Nolan Ryan	329	California	1972	Steve Carlton	310	Philadelphia
1973	Nolan Ryan	383	California	1973	Tom Seaver	251	New York
1974	Nolan Ryan	367	California	1974	Steve Carlton	240	Philadelphia
1975	Frank Tanana	261	California	1975	Tom Seaver	243	New York
1976	Nolan Ryan	327	California	1976	Tom Seaver	235	New York
1977	Nolan Ryan	341	California	1977	Phil Niekro	262	Atlanta
1978	Nolan Ryan	260	California	1978	J.R. Richard	303	Houston
1979	Nolan Ryan	223	California	1979	J.R. Richard	313	Houston
1980	Len Barker	187	Cleveland	1980	Steve Carlton	286	Philadelphia
1981	Len Barker	127	Cleveland	1981	Fernando Valenzuela	180	Los Angeles
1982	Floyd Bannister	209	Seattle	1982	Steve Carlton	286	Philadelphia
1983	Jack Morris	232	Detroit	1983	Steve Carlton	275	Philadelphia
1984	Mark Langston	204	Seattle	1984	Dwight Gooden	276	New York
1985	Floyd Bannister	198	Chicago	1985	Dwight Gooden	268	New York
1986	Mark Langston	245	Seattle	1986	Mike Scott	306	Houston
1987	Mark Langston	262	Seattle	1987	Nolan Ryan	270	Houston
1988	Roger Clemens	291	Boston	1988	Nolan Ryan	228	Houston
1989	Nolan Ryan	301	Texas	1989	Jose DeLeon	201	St. Louis
1990	Nolan Ryan	232	Texas	1990	David Cone	233	New York
1991	Roger Clemens	241	Boston	1991	David Cone	241	New York
1992	Randy Johnson	241	Seattle	1992	John Smoltz	215	Atlanta
1993	Randy Johnson	308	Seattle	1993	Jose Rijo	227	Cincinnati
1994	Randy Johnson	204	Seattle	1994	Andy Benes	189	San Diego
1995	Randy Johnson	294	Seattle	1995	Hideo Nomo	236	Los Angeles
1996	Roger Clemens	257	Boston	1996	John Smoltz	276	Atlanta
1997	Roger Clemens	292	Toronto	1997	Curt Schilling	319	Philadelphia
1998	Roger Clemens	271	Toronto	1998	Curt Schilling	300	Philadelphia
1999	Pedro Martinez	313	Boston	1999	Randy Johnson	364	Arizona
2000	Pedro Martinez	284	Boston	2000	Randy Johnson	347	Arizona
2001	Hideo Nomo	220	Boston	2001	Randy Johnson	372	Arizona
2002	Pedro Martinez	239	Boston	2002	Randy Johnson	334	Arizona
2003	Esteban Loaiza	207	Chicago	2003	Kerry Wood	266	Chicago
2004	Johan Santana	265	Minnesota	2004	Randy Johnson	290	Arizona
2005	Johan Santana	238	Minnesota	2005	Jake Peavy	216	San Diego
Year	American League	K	Team(s)	Year	National League	K	Team(s)
Strikeouts Year-By-Year Leaders

Nolan Ryan holds the Major League record for career strikeouts (click the link to see the top one-hundred) with five-thousand seven-hundred fourteen and with a hundred twenty-five plus years he still remains the only pitcher in history with more than five-thousand career strikeouts.

Did you know that eight of the top ten single season strikeout records all occurred during the nineteen century? Do you know which two big league pitchers from the twentieth century made the top ten?

Walter Johnson set the Major League record for most consecutive seasons (1912 through 1919) leading any league in strikeouts, but Randy Johnson deserves a plug for stringing four consecutive seasons in the American League (1992 through 1995) then four more in the National League (1999 through 2002) four years after he did it in the junior circuit.

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