Clayton Kershaw’s farewell tour has been filled with nostalgia, but one number in particular may define his legacy more than any Cy Young or World Series ring: 3,000 strikeouts. The Dodgers’ ace hit the mark in July, becoming just the 20th pitcher ever to do so. With his retirement looming, though, a bigger question hangs over the game, will anyone else join him?
For decades, the 3,000-strikeout club was the standard for greatness. Nolan Ryan sits untouchable at the top with 5,714, while legends like Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and Greg Maddux cemented their Hall of Fame resumes with their ability to rack up K’s. But in today’s game, the combination of shorter outings, six-man rotations, and constant injuries makes that milestone harder than ever.
Who’s even close?
A handful of veterans are knocking on the door. Justin Verlander (3,543) and Max Scherzer (3,482) are already in, but both are near the end. Kershaw (3,039) will stop right where he is. The next tier includes Chris Sale (2,564) and Gerrit Cole (2,251).
Sale still misses bats with ease, but his body hasn’t always cooperated. Projections suggest he has around a one-in-three shot at sneaking in before he’s done. Cole’s situation is even trickier, Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2025 season. If he comes back strong, his Yankees contract through 2028 could give him a runway, but he’d need several healthy, high-strikeout years to get there.
Behind them, Kevin Gausman, Sonny Gray, and Aaron Nola are hovering under 2,000. None are considered real threats, with Nola’s declining strikeout rate and health issues putting his chances at almost zero.
Why the game has changed
It’s not about talent, today’s pitchers throw harder than ever and generate absurd swing-and-miss numbers. The problem is volume. Starters once lived in the seventh or eighth inning; now they’re pulled after five. Teams are quick with the hook, rotations are bigger, and injuries are more common. Even the most dominant strikeout arms don’t get the workload their predecessors had.
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That shift explains why pitchers like Dylan Cease and Tarik Skubal, both still in their 20s and known for strikeouts, barely register as threats to chase 3,000. They simply won’t have the innings.
The new hope
If there’s a wild card, it’s Paul Skenes. At just 23, the Pirates’ ace is already looking like a throwback. He averages nearly six innings per start, strikes out over 30 percent of hitters he faces, and shows the kind of durability scouts dream about. If anyone in today’s era has a chance to make a run at 3,000, it’s him.
Still, history isn’t on his side. Only 20 pitchers in more than a century have done it, and the current game makes it even harder. Kershaw may not just be the last great lefty with 3,000 strikeouts, he might be the final member of the club altogether.
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