27 MLB records that will never be broken
5,714 Career Strikeouts. 10. player. 95. . Nolan Ryan. 1966-1993
No one has struck out more hitters in Major League history than Nolan Ryan did from 1966 to 1993, and it isn’t even close. With 5,714 career punch outs, Ryan secured the top spot ahead of recent challengers Randy Johnson (4,875) and Roger Clemens (4,672). Steve Carlton (4,136) is the only other member of the 4K K-club, and odds are we won’t see another player come close for a long time – if ever.
The active leader in career strikeouts is C.C. Sabathia with 2,480 through Monday May 18, 2015. Sabathia is one of only six active pitchers with more than 2,000 K’s. The most recent member of the club is Felix Hernandez, who has 2,006 strikeouts in 11 big league seasons to date.
Nolan Ryan built his dominant record by leading his league in strikeouts 11 times and notching 300 or more six times. He struck out 383 batters in 1973, which set a single-season mark among players since 1900, and collected 2,795 career walks – an average of 120 per season.
Interestingly, Ryan’s single-season strikeout record had a challenger as recently as 2001. That year, Randy Johnson had 372 strikeouts, and theoretically could have made a push by making a start on the final game of the season, in which he would have been working on his regular four days rest. Instead, the Diamondbacks saved Johnson’s arm for the playoffs. It worked and the club won the World Series.
Next: 110 Career Shutouts