In Major League Baseball, the 3000 strikeout club is an informal term applied to the group of pitchers who have struck out 3000 or more batters in their careers.
The club's "founding member" was Walter Johnson in 1923, but he was the only pitcher to reach the milestone until Bob Gibson achieved his 3000th strikeout in 1974. Since then, eleven more players have joined the club. This recent increase may be explained by the existence of more free-swinging hitters than before, corresponding with an increase in the number of home runs. Nevertheless, 3000 strikeouts remains a very notable feat, as there are only 13 members.
The club includes only 2 left-handed members, Steve Carlton and Randy Johnson.
The club
Numbers are current following the games of August 6, 2005.
† still active
Top 5 active pitchers closest to the club
| Pitcher | Strikeouts | Teams | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedro Martínez | 2816 | Los Angeles, Montreal, Boston, New York (NL) | 1992- |
| Curt Schilling | 2781 | Baltimore, Houston, Philadelphia, Arizona, Boston | 1988- |
| John Smoltz | 2522 | Atlanta | 1988- |
| Kevin Brown | 2397 | Texas, Baltimore, Florida, San Diego, Los Angeles, New York (AL) | 1986, 1988- |
| Mike Mussina | 2367 | Baltimore (AL), New York (AL) | 1991- |