3,000 strikeout club
![A man in a white baseball jersey with "ASTROS" on the chest and orange and yellow stripes on his shoulders pitches a baseball with his right hand.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Nolan_Ryan_in_Atlanta_close-up.jpg/250px-Nolan_Ryan_in_Atlanta_close-up.jpg)
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the 3,000 strikeout club is the group of 19 pitchers who have struck out 3,000 or more batters in their careers. Walter Johnson became the first member in 1923, and was the only one until Bob Gibson joined in 1974. The most recent addition is Max Scherzer, who joined on September 12, 2021. The group includes three left-handed pitchers: CC Sabathia, Steve Carlton, and Randy Johnson.[1][2] Randy Johnson reached the mark with the fewest games pitched and innings pitched.[3] The Minnesota Twins were the first of four franchises to see multiple pitchers record their 3,000th strikeout: Walter Johnson (while the franchise was called the Washington Senators) in 1923 and Bert Blyleven in 1986. The other teams with multiple members are the Chicago Cubs (Ferguson Jenkins and Greg Maddux), the New York Yankees (Phil Niekro and Sabathia), and the Houston Astros (Nolan Ryan and Justin Verlander). César Gerónimo is the only player struck out by two pitchers for their 3,000th strikeout: Gibson in 1974 and Ryan in 1980.[4] Ten 3,000-strikeout pitchers are also members of the 300-win club.[5] Seven members were named to the All-Century Team, a list of MLB's best 100 players; fans later elected four of them as starters.[6][7] Thirteen members of the club also won a Cy Young Award in their careers.
The club is considered to almost be a guarantee of entry into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Fourteen members of the 3,000-strikeout club have been elected to the Hall,[8][9] most recently Randy Johnson, Pedro Martínez, and John Smoltz, all voted in during the 2015 balloting.[10] Three more members - Sabathia, Scherzer, and Verlander - are not yet eligible for election, being neither dead for six months nor retired for five seasons.[11] The remaining two, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling, made their first appearances on the ballot for the 2013 elections and received about half of the total votes needed for induction before falling off the ballot in 2022.[12] Clemens' future election is seen as uncertain because of his alleged links to use of performance-enhancing drugs.[13]
Key
[edit]Player | Name of the player |
---|---|
Strikeouts | Career strikeouts |
IP | Career innings pitched |
Date | Date of the pitcher's 3,000th strikeout |
Batter | The batter struck out for the pitcher's 3,000th strikeout |
Team | The pitcher's team for his 3,000th strikeout |
Seasons | The seasons this player played in the major leagues |
† | Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame |
‡ | Player is active |
Club members
[edit]![A man in a gray baseball uniform with "ARIZONA" on the chest, a red baseball cap, and a tan baseball glove on his right hand with "51" on its side pitches a baseball with his left hand.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/Randy_Johnson_04.jpg/170px-Randy_Johnson_04.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/John_Smoltz_3000_strikeouts.jpg/170px-John_Smoltz_3000_strikeouts.jpg)
Player | Strikeouts | IP | K/IP | Date | Batter | Team | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nolan Ryan† | 5,714[14] | 5,386 | 1.06 | July 4, 1980[4] | César Gerónimo[4] | Houston Astros | 1966, 1968–1993 |
Randy Johnson† | 4,875[2] | 4,1351⁄3 | 1.18 | September 10, 2000[4] | Mike Lowell[4] | Arizona Diamondbacks | 1988–2009 |
Roger Clemens | 4,672[15] | 4,9162⁄3 | 0.95 | July 5, 1998[4] | Randy Winn[4] | Toronto Blue Jays | 1984–2007 |
Steve Carlton† | 4,136[1] | 5,2171⁄3 | 0.79 | April 29, 1981[4] | Tim Wallach[4] | Philadelphia Phillies | 1965–1988 |
Bert Blyleven† | 3,701[16] | 4,970 | 0.74 | August 1, 1986[4] | Mike Davis[4] | Minnesota Twins | 1970–1992 |
Tom Seaver† | 3,640[17] | 4,7822⁄3 | 0.76 | April 18, 1981[4] | Keith Hernandez[4] | Cincinnati Reds | 1967–1986 |
Don Sutton† | 3,574[18] | 5,2821⁄3 | 0.68 | June 24, 1983[4] | Alan Bannister[4] | Milwaukee Brewers | 1966–1988 |
Gaylord Perry† | 3,534[19] | 5,3501⁄3 | 0.66 | October 1, 1978[4] | Joe Simpson[4] | San Diego Padres | 1962–1983 |
Walter Johnson† | 3,508[20] | 5,9142⁄3 | 0.59 | July 22, 1923 | Stan Coveleski | Washington Senators | 1907–1927 |
Max Scherzer‡ | 3,405[21] | 2,874 | 1.18 | September 12, 2021[22] | Eric Hosmer[22] | Los Angeles Dodgers | 2008–present |
Justin Verlander‡ | 3,399[23] | 3,3871⁄3 | 1.00 | September 28, 2019[4] | Kole Calhoun[4] | Houston Astros | 2005–present |
Greg Maddux† | 3,371[24] | 5,0081⁄3 | 0.67 | July 26, 2005[25] | Omar Vizquel[25] | Chicago Cubs | 1986–2008 |
Phil Niekro† | 3,342[26] | 5,4041⁄3 | 0.62 | July 4, 1984[4] | Larry Parrish[4] | New York Yankees | 1964–1987 |
Ferguson Jenkins† | 3,192[27] | 4,5002⁄3 | 0.71 | May 25, 1982[4] | Garry Templeton[4] | Chicago Cubs | 1965–1983 |
Pedro Martínez† | 3,154[28] | 2,8271⁄3 | 1.12 | September 3, 2007[8] | Aaron Harang[8] | New York Mets | 1992–2009 |
Bob Gibson† | 3,117[29] | 3,8841⁄3 | 0.80 | July 17, 1974[4] | César Gerónimo[4] | St. Louis Cardinals | 1959–1975 |
Curt Schilling | 3,116[30] | 3,261 | 0.96 | August 30, 2006[31] | Nick Swisher[31] | Boston Red Sox | 1988–2007 |
CC Sabathia | 3,093[32] | 3,5771⁄3 | 0.86 | April 30, 2019[33] | John Ryan Murphy[33] | New York Yankees | 2001–2019 |
John Smoltz† | 3,084[34] | 3,473 | 0.88 | April 22, 2008[35] | Felipe López[35] | Atlanta Braves | 1988–1999, 2001–2009 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- General
- "Career Leaders & Records for Strikeouts". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- Specific
- ^ a b "Steve Carlton Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ a b "Randy Johnson Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ Luft, Jacob (September 20, 2000). "3k the fast way: Big Unit is quickest to 3,000 strikeouts". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Johnson joins 3K club in Arizona's loss to Florida". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Wins". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "The All-Century Team". MLB.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "All-Century Team final voting". ESPN. October 23, 1999. Archived from the original on September 18, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
- ^ a b c Noble, Marty (September 3, 2007). "Pedro records 3,000th strikeout". MLB.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ Mitchell, Fred (July 20, 2005). "Maddux on the verge of 3,000 strikeouts". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "Hall of Fame Class of 2015" (Press release). National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. January 6, 2015. Archived from the original on January 8, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
- ^ "Rules for Election". National Baseball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 30 May 2010. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
- ^ "2013 Hall of Fame Vote a Shutout" (Press release). National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. January 9, 2013. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
- ^ Kurkjian, Tim (January 9, 2012). "Whopper of a list of names await in 2013". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
But Clemens is, after [Barry] Bonds, the next face of the steroid era. He has been charged with lying before Congress about his use of performance-enhancing drugs. He has no chance to make it to Cooperstown next year, or for many, many years to come.
- ^ "Nolan Ryan Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "Roger Clemens Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "Bert Blyleven Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "Tom Seaver Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "Don Sutton Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "Gaylord Perry Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "Walter Johnson Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "Max Scherzer Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
- ^ a b "Near-perfect Scherzer 19th to 3,000 K's". MLB.com. Archived from the original on 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2021-09-12.
- ^ "Justin Verlander Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2009. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
- ^ "Greg Maddux Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ a b Muskat, Carrie (July 26, 2005). "Giant milestone: Maddux fans No. 3,000". MLB.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "Phil Niekro Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "Fergie Jenkins Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "Pedro Martínez Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "Bob Gibson Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "Curt Schilling Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2009. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ a b "Schilling reaches 3,000 career strikeouts". ESPN Internet Ventures. Associated Press. August 31, 2006. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "CC Sabathia Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- ^ a b "3K for CC! Lefty 17th to achieve K milestone". MLB.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
- ^ "John Smoltz Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ a b Bowman, Mark (April 23, 2008). "Smoltz enters exclusive 3,000 K-Zone". MLB.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2010.