Between April 16, 1976 and September 2, 1998, Nolan Ryan struck out the most hitters, with 3,940 strikeouts.
Interpreted as:
most strikeouts allowed by a player from April 16, 1976 to september 2, 1998| 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 |  | N. Ryan | 3,940 | 550 | 218 | 193 | .530 | 550 | 3.26 | 126 | 38 | 0 | 3719.1 | 2,772 | 1,346 | 1,535 | 224 | 1,787 | 101 | 0 | 55 | 15,522 | 200 | 9.53 | 4.32 | 2.20 | 0.54 | 25.4 | 11.5 | 1.23 | .269 | 3.71 | 6.71 |
| 2 |  | R. Clemens | 3,098 | 445 | 230 | 124 | .650 | 444 | 2.95 | 114 | 44 | 0 | 3238.0 | 2,704 | 1,061 | 1,177 | 211 | 999 | 103 | 0 | 44 | 13,240 | 80 | 8.61 | 2.78 | 3.10 | 0.59 | 23.4 | 7.5 | 1.14 | .282 | 3.27 | 7.52 |
| 3 |  | J. Morris | 2,478 | 549 | 254 | 186 | .577 | 527 | 3.90 | 175 | 28 | 0 | 3824.0 | 3,567 | 1,657 | 1,815 | 389 | 1,390 | 58 | 10 | 99 | 16,120 | 205 | 5.83 | 3.27 | 1.78 | 0.92 | 15.4 | 8.6 | 1.30 | .269 | 4.27 | 8.40 |
| 4 |  | M. Langston | 2,421 | 426 | 178 | 156 | .533 | 423 | 3.94 | 81 | 18 | 0 | 2898.0 | 2,652 | 1,268 | 1,396 | 301 | 1,259 | 46 | 1 | 28 | 12,275 | 87 | 7.52 | 3.91 | 1.92 | 0.93 | 19.7 | 10.3 | 1.35 | .285 | 4.34 | 8.24 |
| 5 | | B. Blyleven | 2,361 | 474 | 192 | 164 | .539 | 470 | 3.58 | 145 | 36 | 0 | 3342.0 | 3,203 | 1,330 | 1,458 | 315 | 916 | 116 | 1 | 48 | 13,895 | 83 | 6.36 | 2.47 | 2.58 | 0.85 | 17.0 | 6.6 | 1.23 | .283 | 3.93 | 8.63 |
| 6 | | F. Tanana | 2,297 | 559 | 208 | 205 | .504 | 542 | 3.76 | 113 | 24 | 1 | 3628.0 | 3,554 | 1,517 | 1,706 | 396 | 1,094 | 113 | 7 | 106 | 15,336 | 105 | 5.70 | 2.71 | 2.10 | 0.98 | 15.0 | 7.1 | 1.28 | .276 | 4.23 | 8.82 |
| 7 |  | R. Johnson | 2,284 | 292 | 139 | 79 | .638 | 283 | 3.39 | 55 | 22 | 2 | 1948.0 | 1,501 | 734 | 822 | 168 | 931 | 91 | 4 | 11 | 8,181 | 71 | 10.55 | 4.30 | 2.45 | 0.78 | 27.9 | 11.4 | 1.25 | .283 | 3.80 | 6.93 |
| 8 | | D. Eckersley | 2,242 | 1,025 | 183 | 163 | .529 | 336 | 3.55 | 94 | 18 | 388 | 3088.2 | 2,918 | 1,220 | 1,315 | 328 | 646 | 68 | 569 | 82 | 12,696 | 24 | 6.53 | 1.88 | 3.47 | 0.96 | 17.7 | 5.1 | 1.15 | .275 | 3.83 | 8.50 |
| 9 |  | S. Carlton | 2,215 | 393 | 181 | 124 | .593 | 379 | 3.31 | 109 | 24 | 1 | 2762.0 | 2,482 | 1,015 | 1,165 | 234 | 941 | 25 | 6 | 77 | 11,451 | 100 | 7.22 | 3.07 | 2.35 | 0.76 | 19.3 | 8.2 | 1.24 | .280 | 3.80 | 8.09 |
| 10 | | D. Cone | 2,208 | 355 | 166 | 91 | .646 | 326 | 3.17 | 55 | 21 | 1 | 2370.0 | 1,952 | 835 | 917 | 188 | 889 | 75 | 9 | 32 | 9,816 | 121 | 8.38 | 3.38 | 2.48 | 0.71 | 22.5 | 9.1 | 1.20 | .273 | 3.48 | 7.41 |
| 11 | | C. Hough | 2,175 | 719 | 200 | 203 | .496 | 440 | 3.77 | 107 | 13 | 49 | 3546.2 | 3,098 | 1,486 | 1,697 | 357 | 1,529 | 155 | 171 | 40 | 15,086 | 169 | 5.52 | 3.88 | 1.42 | 0.91 | 14.4 | 10.1 | 1.30 | .252 | 4.31 | 7.86 |
| 12 | | D. Martinez | 2,138 | 682 | 244 | 193 | .558 | 562 | 3.70 | 122 | 30 | 8 | 3989.0 | 3,889 | 1,640 | 1,832 | 372 | 1,163 | 121 | 51 | 70 | 16,712 | 83 | 4.82 | 2.62 | 1.84 | 0.84 | 12.8 | 7.0 | 1.27 | .272 | 4.13 | 8.77 |
| 13 | | D. Gooden | 2,123 | 372 | 183 | 103 | .640 | 369 | 3.33 | 68 | 24 | 1 | 2547.2 | 2,287 | 943 | 1,030 | 164 | 833 | 65 | 1 | 36 | 10,570 | 66 | 7.50 | 2.94 | 2.55 | 0.58 | 20.1 | 7.9 | 1.22 | .287 | 3.64 | 8.08 |
| 14 | | F. Valenzuela | 2,074 | 453 | 173 | 153 | .531 | 424 | 3.54 | 113 | 31 | 2 | 2930.0 | 2,718 | 1,154 | 1,303 | 226 | 1,151 | 25 | 10 | 65 | 12,398 | 119 | 6.37 | 3.54 | 1.80 | 0.69 | 16.7 | 9.3 | 1.32 | .279 | 4.00 | 8.35 |
| 15 |  | G. Maddux | 1,999 | 399 | 201 | 115 | .636 | 395 | 2.75 | 89 | 28 | 0 | 2824.0 | 2,481 | 862 | 989 | 141 | 642 | 75 | 3 | 107 | 11,406 | 44 | 6.37 | 2.05 | 3.11 | 0.45 | 17.5 | 5.6 | 1.11 | .274 | 3.15 | 7.91 |
| 16 | | B. Welch | 1,969 | 506 | 211 | 146 | .591 | 462 | 3.47 | 61 | 28 | 8 | 3092.0 | 2,894 | 1,191 | 1,310 | 267 | 1,034 | 79 | 20 | 60 | 12,956 | 55 | 5.73 | 3.01 | 1.90 | 0.78 | 15.2 | 8.0 | 1.27 | .273 | 3.81 | 8.42 |
| 17 | | D. Darwin | 1,941 | 712 | 171 | 182 | .484 | 371 | 3.83 | 53 | 9 | 32 | 3011.1 | 2,947 | 1,281 | 1,427 | 321 | 872 | 80 | 170 | 101 | 12,693 | 52 | 5.80 | 2.61 | 2.23 | 0.96 | 15.3 | 6.9 | 1.27 | .277 | 4.26 | 8.81 |
| 18 | | C. Finley | 1,925 | 399 | 152 | 126 | .547 | 342 | 3.65 | 56 | 14 | 0 | 2435.0 | 2,321 | 988 | 1,100 | 228 | 1,006 | 61 | 24 | 24 | 10,363 | 102 | 7.11 | 3.72 | 1.91 | 0.84 | 18.6 | 9.7 | 1.37 | .293 | 4.07 | 8.58 |
| 19 |  | J. Smoltz | 1,909 | 323 | 142 | 105 | .575 | 323 | 3.39 | 45 | 12 | 0 | 2201.0 | 1,911 | 830 | 914 | 181 | 729 | 34 | 0 | 53 | 9,102 | 117 | 7.81 | 2.98 | 2.62 | 0.74 | 21.0 | 8.0 | 1.20 | .277 | 3.74 | 7.81 |
| 20 | | O. Hershiser | 1,893 | 463 | 188 | 132 | .588 | 423 | 3.31 | 68 | 25 | 5 | 2901.0 | 2,688 | 1,066 | 1,220 | 214 | 901 | 94 | 18 | 104 | 12,115 | 111 | 5.87 | 2.80 | 2.10 | 0.66 | 15.6 | 7.4 | 1.24 | .274 | 3.78 | 8.34 |
| 21 | | F. Viola | 1,844 | 421 | 176 | 150 | .540 | 420 | 3.73 | 74 | 16 | 0 | 2836.1 | 2,827 | 1,175 | 1,303 | 294 | 864 | 48 | 0 | 39 | 11,933 | 86 | 5.85 | 2.74 | 2.13 | 0.93 | 15.5 | 7.2 | 1.30 | .285 | 4.13 | 8.97 |
| 22 | | P. Niekro | 1,816 | 424 | 171 | 152 | .529 | 414 | 3.71 | 113 | 19 | 2 | 2896.0 | 2,794 | 1,194 | 1,361 | 268 | 1,152 | 62 | 7 | 44 | 12,372 | 106 | 5.64 | 3.58 | 1.58 | 0.83 | 14.7 | 9.3 | 1.36 | .278 | 4.23 | 8.68 |
| 23 | | B. Witt | 1,790 | 375 | 131 | 139 | .485 | 355 | 4.72 | 44 | 9 | 0 | 2220.0 | 2,208 | 1,165 | 1,277 | 216 | 1,247 | 33 | 11 | 34 | 9,891 | 115 | 7.26 | 5.06 | 1.44 | 0.88 | 18.1 | 12.6 | 1.56 | .302 | 5.18 | 8.95 |
| 24 | | R. Guidry | 1,763 | 358 | 170 | 90 | .654 | 322 | 3.29 | 95 | 26 | 4 | 2376.1 | 2,183 | 868 | 947 | 226 | 624 | 12 | 17 | 24 | 9,725 | 55 | 6.68 | 2.36 | 2.83 | 0.86 | 18.1 | 6.4 | 1.18 | .276 | 3.59 | 8.27 |
| 25 | | S. Fernandez | 1,743 | 307 | 114 | 96 | .543 | 300 | 3.36 | 25 | 9 | 1 | 1866.2 | 1,421 | 696 | 749 | 191 | 715 | 41 | 2 | 33 | 7,668 | 22 | 8.40 | 3.45 | 2.44 | 0.92 | 22.7 | 9.3 | 1.14 | .247 | 3.61 | 6.85 |
StatMuse has game-level data for strikeouts going back to the 1901 season.
Some of the information used here was obtained free of charge from Retrosheet.
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