Which Pitchers Have the Most Strikeouts in MLB History?
The Kings of the K: From Nolan Ryan to Pedro Martinez to Max Scherzer, here's a look at the most dominant strikeout pitchers in MLB history With the deployment of new analytics in modern baseball, we can expect the all-time strikeout list to be frequently reshuffled by the next generation of talented pitchers. From an analytical standpoint, hitting coaches and statisticians view strikeouts simply as outs. With bases empty, a strikeout carries the same value as a groundout, flyout, or any other unsuccessful plate appearance. When runners occupy base paths, modern data demonstrates it's often more valuable for hitters to swing aggressively for extra-base hits rather than simply making contact to advance runners. This philosophy has contributed to increased home run totals and, consequently, dramatically more strikeouts across the league. However, contemporary injury management and workload concerns have also led to reduced innings per start for pitchers, with managers remov...