Nolan Ryan has struck out the most career hitters by a starting pitcher, with 5,654 strikeouts.

	NAME	SO	G	W	L	W%	GS	ERA	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	R	HR	BB	HBP	GF	IBB	TBF	WP	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	K%	BB%	WHIP	BABIP	RA	H/9
1	Nolan Ryan N. Ryan	5,654	773	318	291	.522	773	3.18	222	61	0	5326.0	3,880	1,884	2,151	314	2,748	156	0	75	22,310	275	9.55	4.64	2.06	0.53	25.3	12.3	1.24	.265	3.63	6.56
2	Randy Johnson R. Johnson	4,818	603	301	166	.645	603	3.30	100	37	0	4103.0	3,320	1,504	1,692	408	1,491	188	0	37	16,937	109	10.57	3.27	3.23	0.89	28.4	8.8	1.17	.290	3.71	7.28
3	Roger Clemens R. Clemens	4,671	707	354	184	.658	707	3.12	118	46	0	4913.2	4,182	1,706	1,884	363	1,579	159	0	63	20,227	143	8.56	2.89	2.96	0.66	23.1	7.8	1.17	.284	3.45	7.66
4	Steve Carlton S. Carlton	4,104	709	327	240	.577	709	3.20	254	55	0	5165.1	4,616	1,835	2,096	405	1,814	53	0	145	21,457	177	7.15	3.16	2.26	0.71	19.1	8.5	1.24	.279	3.65	8.04
5	Bert Blyleven B. Blyleven	3,694	685	286	248	.536	685	3.31	242	60	0	4957.1	4,614	1,823	2,021	428	1,316	155	0	67	20,429	114	6.71	2.39	2.81	0.78	18.1	6.4	1.20	.282	3.67	8.38
6	Tom Seaver T. Seaver	3,634	647	310	203	.604	647	2.86	231	61	0	4776.1	3,961	1,517	1,670	378	1,387	76	0	115	19,337	123	6.85	2.61	2.62	0.71	18.8	7.2	1.12	.258	3.15	7.46
7	Justin Verlander J. Verlander	3,553	555	266	158	.627	555	3.32	26	9	0	3567.2	3,046	1,317	1,428	371	1,004	121	0	28	14,607	99	8.96	2.53	3.54	0.94	24.3	6.9	1.14	.280	3.60	7.68
8	Don Sutton D. Sutton	3,545	756	321	253	.559	756	3.27	178	58	0	5248.1	4,670	1,905	2,095	469	1,333	81	0	96	21,500	110	6.08	2.29	2.66	0.80	16.5	6.2	1.14	.261	3.59	8.01
9	Max Scherzer M. Scherzer	3,471	474	220	117	.653	474	3.22	12	5	0	2944.0	2,422	1,054	1,127	352	772	112	0	20	11,913	80	10.61	2.36	4.50	1.08	29.1	6.5	1.08	.287	3.45	7.40
10	Gaylord Perry G. Perry	3,372	690	305	252	.548	690	3.10	303	53	0	5156.2	4,762	1,778	2,045	382	1,314	101	0	144	21,140	150	5.89	2.29	2.57	0.67	16.0	6.2	1.18	.274	3.57	8.31
11	Greg Maddux G. Maddux	3,366	740	355	226	.611	740	3.15	109	35	0	5001.0	4,717	1,750	1,974	351	996	137	0	177	20,388	70	6.06	1.79	3.38	0.63	16.5	4.9	1.14	.281	3.55	8.49
12	Walter Johnson W. Johnson	3,273	666	376	249	.602	666	1.69	531	110	0	5552.0	4,610		1,766	90	1,295	191	0			144	5.31	2.10	2.53	0.15		5.8	1.06	.261	2.86	7.47
13	Phil Niekro P. Niekro	3,181	716	302	262	.535	716	3.37	245	45	0	5149.2	4,815	1,928	2,227	465	1,703	116	0	73	21,585	207	5.56	2.98	1.87	0.81	14.7	7.9	1.27	.270	3.89	8.42
14	CC Sabathia	3,091	560	251	161	.609	560	3.74	38	12	0	3576.1	3,404	1,485	1,623	382	1,099	123	0	44	14,986	74	7.78	2.77	2.81	0.96	20.6	7.3	1.26	.294	4.08	8.57
15	Fergie Jenkins F. Jenkins	3,082	594	278	218	.560	594	3.32	267	49	0	4358.2	4,021	1,608	1,786	463	951	83	0	101	17,815	61	6.36	1.96	3.24	0.96	17.3	5.3	1.14	.269	3.69	8.30
16	Clayton Kershaw C. Kershaw	3,047	451	223	96	.699	451	2.54	25	15	0	2850.1	2,191	804	881	235	711	46	0	27	11,261	108	9.62	2.25	4.29	0.74	27.1	6.3	1.02	.271	2.78	6.92
17	Bob Gibson B. Gibson	3,044	482	245	170	.590	482	2.88	255	56	0	3796.1	3,199	1,216	1,376	250	1,277	99	0	107	15,669	105	7.22	3.03	2.38	0.59	19.4	8.1	1.18	.268	3.26	7.58
18	Pedro Martinez P. Martinez	3,032	409	208	97	.682	409	2.95	46	17	0	2720.0	2,151	893	979	233	705	136	0	26	10,955	60	10.03	2.33	4.30	0.77	27.7	6.4	1.05	.280	3.24	7.12
19	Curt Schilling C. Schilling	2,953	436	206	134	.606	436	3.45	83	20	0	3079.1	2,831	1,180	1,241	334	634	51	0	35	12,510	67	8.63	1.85	4.66	0.98	23.6	5.1	1.13	.292	3.63	8.27
20	Zack Greinke Z. Greinke	2,907	541	220	153	.590	541	3.48	17	5	0	3316.0	3,142	1,282	1,377	360	742	77	0	22	13,579	99	7.89	2.01	3.92	0.98	21.4	5.5	1.17	.293	3.74	8.53
21	Mike Mussina M. Mussina	2,812	536	270	153	.638	536	3.68	57	23	0	3559.0	3,453	1,456	1,557	376	785	60	0	29	14,576	71	7.11	1.99	3.58	0.95	19.3	5.4	1.19	.292	3.94	8.73
22	John Smoltz J. Smoltz	2,804	481	209	149	.584	481	3.40	53	16	0	3211.2	2,869	1,214	1,317	271	960	56	0	79	13,256	136	7.86	2.69	2.92	0.76	21.2	7.2	1.19	.283	3.69	8.04
23	Jim Bunning J. Bunning	2,752	519	215	180	.544	519	3.30	151	40	0	3620.0	3,314	1,327	1,484	364	938	156	0	86	15,021	44	6.84	2.33	2.93	0.90	18.3	6.2	1.17	.273	3.69	8.24
24	Mickey Lolich M. Lolich	2,735	496	209	187	.528	496	3.44	195	41	0	3504.0	3,247	1,339	1,486	333	1,039	89	0	57	14,571	115	7.02	2.67	2.63	0.86	18.8	7.1	1.22	.281	3.82	8.34
25	Frank Tanana F. Tanana	2,734	616	236	236	.500	616	3.67	143	34	0	4136.1	4,019	1,688	1,893	445	1,227	128	0	110	17,413	114	5.95	2.67	2.23	0.97	15.7	7.0	1.27	.278	4.12	8.74