Kershaw to the 3K Club: Where Does He Rank Among Pitchers?

Clayton Kershaw Joins the 3,000 Strikeout Club: Where Does He Rank Among the Elite?

The 3,000 strikeout club has welcomed a new member. Clayton Kershaw, star pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, achieved the milestone by striking out Vinny Capra of the Chicago White Sox in the sixth inning. With this achievement, Kershaw becomes the twentieth pitcher in MLB history to reach this impressive mark.

While the 3,000 strikeouts club doesn’t generate as much attention as the 3,000 hits club, it’s even more exclusive. To put it in perspective, only 33 players have reached the 3,000 hits mark.

When analyzing the list of pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts and Kershaw’s position on it, several interesting aspects stand out.

• None of the club members pitched at Ebbets Field during the regular season. This underscores that this level of strikeouts is a relatively recent phenomenon.
• Kershaw, currently, has pitched the fewest career innings among the club members, although he is likely to surpass Pedro Martínez in this aspect.
• Kershaw holds the highest winning percentage (.697) and the best ERA+ (155) among the 20 pitchers.
• He leads in average Game Score (61.9) and is tied for second (with Bob Gibson) in quality start percentage (68%), only surpassed by Tom Seaver (70%).
• In terms of bWAR, Kershaw ranks 16th with 77.1, among this group of Hall of Fame members.

So, where does Kershaw rank in the 3,000-strikeout club? The answer varies depending on the metric used. The following ranking considers various factors to evaluate the performance of pitchers.

The Ranking of the 3,000 Strikeouts

This ranking considers the “FWP” (a proprietary metric) and the Game Score W-L (wins and losses based on the Game Score).

1. Roger Clemens

FWP: 568.8 | Strikeouts: 4,672. Game score W-L: 477-230 (.675). The top three pitchers on this list coincide with the top three of the modern era, not only among those who reached 3,000 strikeouts. Clemens leads due to his number of games started and a better win percentage according to Game Score.

2. Randy Johnson

FWP: 532.9 | Strikeouts: 4,875. Game score W-L: 421-182 (.698). Johnson is one of the few pitchers with more than 400 wins according to the Game Score method. His winning percentage is the highest among the nine pitchers with more than 400 wins according to this metric.

3. Walter Johnson

FWP: 494.7 | Strikeouts: 3,509. Game score W-L: 437-229 (.656). Johnson, despite being from a different era, remains a legend. All members of the 3,000-strikeout club, except Johnson, debuted in 1959 or later.

4. Greg Maddux

FWP: 443.3 | Strikeouts: 3,371. Game score W-L: 453-287 (.612). Maddux, known for his control and effectiveness, surprises by being above Nolan Ryan in this ranking, despite not being a pitcher with a large number of strikeouts.

5. Nolan Ryan

FWP: 443.1 | Strikeouts: 5,714. Game score W-L: 467-306 (.604). Ryan is the pitcher with the most strikeouts in history. His winning percentage improved by the Game Score method demonstrates his impact.

6. Max Scherzer

FWP: 385.7 | Strikeouts: 3,419. Game score W-L: 315-145 (.685). Scherzer is part of the select group with a winning percentage of .680 or higher according to the Game Score.

7. Justin Verlander

FWP: 385.0 | Strikeouts: 3,471. Game score W-L: 349-190 (.647). Verlander, along with Scherzer, continues his fight for leadership in the FWP metric and seeks to reach 3,500 strikeouts.

8. Pedro Martínez

FWP: 383.5 | Strikeouts: 3,154. Game score W-L: 292-117 (.714). Martínez, despite having fewer starts than other club members, stands out for his high winning percentage and his FWP per start.

9. Steve Carlton

FWP: 379.8 | Strikeouts: 4,136. Game score W-L: 420-289 (.592). Carlton, remembered for his 1972 season, had a dominant performance according to the Game Score method.

10. Tom Seaver

FWP: 371.3 | Strikeouts: 3,640. Game score W-L: 391-256 (.604). Seaver is recognized for his consistency and dominance. His quality start percentage is the highest among this group.

11. Clayton Kershaw

FWP: 370.9 | Strikeouts: 3,000. Game score W-L: 301-137 (.687). Kershaw, the reason for this ranking, joins the 300-win club according to Game Score and stands out for his dominance and efficiency.

12. Don Sutton

FWP: 370.6 | Strikeouts: 3,574. Game score W-L: 437-319 (.578). Sutton, a model of durability, ranks third in career starts and seventh in innings pitched.

13. Ferguson Jenkins

FWP: 353.8 | Strikeouts: 3,192. Game score W-L: 363-231 (.611). Jenkins, a Hall of Famer, is a bit historically underestimated. The Game Score method gives him a significant boost in wins.

14. Gaylord Perry

FWP: 335.6 | Strikeouts: 3,534. Game score W-L: 398-292 (.577). Perry, known for his determination, stayed active to reach 300 victories.

15. Phil Niekro

FWP: 332.5 | Strikeouts: 3,342. Game score W-L: 408-308 (.570). Niekro had a career with ups and downs, but his winning percentage improves with the Game Score method.

16. CC Sabathia

FWP: 323.2 | Strikeouts: 3,093. Game score W-L: 339-221 (.605). Sabathia, soon to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, demonstrates his worth in this group.

17. Bob Gibson

FWP: 321.0 | Strikeouts: 3,117. Game score W-L: 305-177 (.633). Gibson, with an ERA of 1.12 in 1968, performed even better according to the Game Score method.

18. Bert Blyleven

FWP: 320.2 | Strikeouts: 3,701. Game score W-L: 391-294 (.571). Blyleven, recognized for his excellence, is on the list of wins according to Game Score.

19. Curt Schilling

FWP: 307.1 | Strikeouts: 3,116. Game score W-L: 281-155 (.644). Schilling, with a high FWP, is considered a Hall of Fame candidate.

20. John Smoltz

FWP: 273.8 | Strikeouts: 3,084. Game score W-L: 290-191 (.603). Smoltz, with 213 victories, stands out for his versatility as a reliever, achieving 154 saves.