As Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw makes his seventh start of the season on Friday against the Washington Nationals, he is just 12 strikeouts away from becoming the 20th pitcher in MLB history to record 3,000 strikeouts over his career. Entering Friday's start, Kershaw has tallied 2,988 strikeouts throughout his storied career, 20th most in MLB history.
Over 100 years before Kershaw approached the 3,000 strikeout mark, Walter Johnson became the first pitcher to pitch 3,000 strikeouts over his Hall of Fame career from 1907-1927. His feat stood alone for decades, until Bob Gibson reached the 3,000 strikeouts mark almost 50 years later in 1974.
Johnson and Gibson's strikeout tallied would eventually be surpassed, and the current career strikeout leader is Nolan Ryan, who recorded an unfathomable 5,714 strikeouts during his career. Ryan, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, and Steve Carlton are the only four pitchers to reach 4,000 career strikeouts.
Kershaw will become just the third active MLB pitcher to reaching 3,000 strikeouts over his career, joining the San Francisco Giants' Justin Verlander and the Toronto Blue Jays' Max Scherzer. Scherzer was the most recent pitcher to record his 3,000th career strikeout, doing so in 2021.
Kershaw will notably also become just the fourth left-handed pitcher to reach 3,000 or more strikeouts, joining Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton, and CC Sabathia.
Here's a full look at the 19 other pitchers Kershaw is slated to join in the 3,000 strikeouts club.
Pitcher
Total Career Strikeouts
Career Span
Innings Pitched
Nolan Ryan
5,714
1966, 1968-1993
5,387.0
Randy Johnson
4,875
1988-2009
4,135.1
Roger Clemens
4,672
1984-2007
4,916.2
Steve Carlton
4,136
1965-1988
5,217.1
Bert Blyleven
3,701
1970-1992
4,970.0
Tom Seaver
3,640
1967-1986
4,782.2
Don Sutton
3,574
1966-1988
5,282.1
Gaylord Perry
3,534
1962-1983
5,350.1
Walter Johnson
3,509
1907-1927
5,914.2
Justin Verlander
3,457
2025-present
3,467.2
Max Scherzer
3,408
2008-present
2,881.0
Greg Maddux
3,371
1986-2008
5,008.1
Phil Niekro
3,342
1964-1987
5,404.1
Fergie Jenkins
3,192
1965-1983
4,500.2
Pedro Martínez
3,154
1992-2009
2,827.1
Bob Gibson
3,117
1959-1975
3,884.1
Curt Schilling
3,116
1988-2007
3,261.0
CC Sabathia
3,093
2001-2019
3,557.1
John Smoltz
3,084
1988-2009
3,473.0
Since coming back from injury this season, Kershaw has averaged 3.3 strikeouts per start, but that average has risen to six strikeouts over his last two games. He has thrown 20 strikeouts this season, and likely will need just two or three starts to join the 3,000 strikeouts club.
From winning three Cy Young awards and the National League MVP in 2014, making 10 All-Star Games, and winning two World Series, to closing in on 3,000 career strikeouts, Kershaw has seemingly accomplished it all over his 18 years with the Dodgers.
