Kershaw joins the 3K club! Where does he rank among pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts?

The 3,000-strikeout nine has grown by one, with Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers whiffing the Chicago White Sox's Vinny Capra successful the sixth inning connected Wednesday, becoming the 20th pitcher successful shot past to scope that milestone.

The 3K pitching nine doesn't make arsenic overmuch hullabaloo arsenic its hitting counterpart, but it is successful information much exclusive: Thirty-three players person reached 3,000 hits.

When you look astatine the database of pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts, and Kershaw's spot connected it, a fewer things leap retired astatine you.

• None of them pitched astatine Ebbets Field, astatine slightest not successful a regular-season game. I framework it similar that to exemplify that this level of whiffery is simply a reasonably caller phenomenon. The Dodgers bolted Brooklyn aft the 1957 season, and astatine that point, Walter Johnson was the lone subordinate of the 3,000-strikeout club. A vocation Washington Senator, helium ne'er pitched against the Dodgers. Every different 3K subordinate made his large league debut successful 1959 oregon later. Half of them debuted successful 1984 oregon later. Three of them (Kershaw, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander) are active.

• For now, Kershaw has thrown the fewest vocation innings of immoderate 3K member, though he's apt to yet extremity up with much frames than Pedro Martinez.

• Kershaw has the highest winning percent of the 20 (.697) and the champion ERA+ (155), though his edges implicit Martinez (.685 and 154) are razor thin.

• Kershaw tops the database successful mean crippled people (61.9) and is tied for 2nd (with Bob Gibson) for prime commencement percent (68%), down lone Tom Seaver (70%).

• Kershaw lags down successful bWAR, astatine slightest among this radical of current, aboriginal and should-be Hall of Famers with 77.1, ranking 16th.

So wherever does Kershaw really fertile successful the 3K club? I'm gladsome you asked.

First, what should beryllium evident from the supra slug points is that the effect to the question volition alteration according to however you take to reply it. The ranking beneath reflects not lone however I chose to reply the question but however I'd similar to spot starting pitchers rated successful wide -- adjacent today, successful the wildly antithetic discourse from the days of Walter Johnson.

1. Roger Clemens

FWP: 568.8 | Strikeouts: 4,672

Game people W-L: 477-230 (.675)

The apical 3 pitchers connected the list, including Rocket, lucifer the modern-era apical 3 for each pitchers, not conscionable the 3K guys. (The drawstring is breached by fourth-place Christy Mathewson.) Before moving the numbers, I figured Walter Johnson, with his modern-era grounds of 417 vocation wins (the old-fashioned variety), would apical the list. But Clemens really started much games (relief appearances don't origin in) and had a amended crippled people triumph percentage.

2. Randy Johnson

FWP: 532.9 | Strikeouts: 4,875

Game people W-L: 421-182 (.698)

Since we're lopping disconnected pre-1901 performances, the method does Cy Young dirty. Only 2 pitchers -- Young (511 wins) and Walter Johnson got to 400 vocation wins by the accepted method. By the crippled people method, the nine grows to nine, including a clump of players galore of america really got to spot play. The Big Unit is 1 of the caller 400-game winners, and of the nine, his crippled people winning percent is the highest. The lone happening keeping Johnson from No. 1 connected this database is that helium logged 104 less vocation starts than Clemens.

3. Walter Johnson

FWP: 494.7 | Strikeouts: 3,509

Game people W-L: 437-229 (.656)

Don't weep for the Big Train -- adjacent this revamping of his century-old show grounds and the fixation connected strikeouts can't dim his greatness. That information we mentioned successful the instauration -- that each 3K subordinate but Walter Johnson debuted successful 1959 oregon aboriginal -- tells you a batch astir conscionable however overmuch helium was a antheral retired of his time. Johnson retired aft the 1927 play and surpassed 3,000 strikeouts by whiffing Cleveland's Stan Coveleski connected July 22, 1923. It was astir 51 years earlier Gibson became 3K subordinate No. 2 connected July 17, 1974.

4. Greg Maddux

FWP: 443.3 | Strikeouts: 3,371

Game people W-L: 453-287 (.612)

There is simply a stark opposition betwixt pitcher No. 4 and pitcher No. 5 connected this ranking. The chaotic happening astir Maddux ranking supra Nolan Ryan successful a radical selected for strikeouts is that nary 1 thinks of Maddux arsenic a strikeout pitcher. He ne'er led a league successful whiffs and topped 200 conscionable erstwhile (204 successful 1998). He was conscionable an amazingly bully pitcher for a truly agelong time.

5. Nolan Ryan

FWP: 443.1 | Strikeouts: 5,714

Game people W-L: 467-306 (.604)

Ryan is without a uncertainty the top strikeout pitcher who ever lived, and it's truly hard to ideate idiosyncratic surpassing him. This is simply a feline who struck retired his archetypal six batters successful 1966, erstwhile Lyndon Johnson was successful the White House, and his past 46 successful 1993, erstwhile Bill Clinton was there. Ryan was often criticized during his heyday for his win-loss record, but the crippled people method clears that close up. Ryan's revised winning percent (.604) is markedly higher than his existent percent (.526).

6. Max Scherzer

FWP: 385.7 | Strikeouts: 3,419

Game people W-L: 315-145 (.685)

Here's different another nine Mad Max is in: .680 oregon amended crippled people winning percentage, minimum 100 vocation starts. He's 1 of conscionable 8 members, on with Kershaw. The database is topped by Smoky Joe Wood, who dominated the AL during the 1910s earlier hurting his limb and converting into a full-time outfielder. The afloat list: Wood, Martinez, Randy Johnson, Lefty Grove, Mathewson, Kershaw, Stephen Strasburg and Scherzer.

7. Justin Verlander

FWP: 385.0 | Strikeouts: 3,471

Game people W-L: 349-190 (.647)

Like Scherzer, Verlander is caller disconnected the injured list. Thus, the 2 progressive leaders successful our mentation of FWP person resumed their choky conflict for imperishable supremacy. Both besides resume their quests to go the 10th and 11th pitchers to scope 3,500 strikeouts. Verlander, who hasn't earned a accepted triumph successful 13 starts, is 4-9 this play by the crippled people method.

8. Pedro Martinez

FWP: 383.5 | Strikeouts: 3,154

Game people W-L: 292-117 (.714)

By truthful galore measures, Martinez is 1 of the top of each time, adjacent if his vocation measurement didn't scope the aforesaid levels arsenic those of the others connected the list. His 409 vocation starts is easy the fewest of the 3K club. But helium has the highest crippled people winning percent and, likewise, the highest people for FWP per commencement (.938).

9. Steve Carlton

FWP: 379.8 | Strikeouts: 4,136

Game people W-L: 420-289 (.592)

When you deliberation of Lefty, you deliberation of his 1972 season, erstwhile helium went 27-10 (traditional method) for a Phillies squad that went 59-97. What does the crippled people method deliberation of that season? It hates it. Kidding! No, Carlton, arsenic you'd expect, dominated, going 32-9. So deliberation of it similar this: There were 32 times successful 1972 that Carlton outpitched his starting counterpart contempt the lethargic discourtesy down him.

10. Tom Seaver

FWP: 371.3 | Strikeouts: 3,640

Game people W-L: 391-256 (.604)

Perhaps nary different pitcher of his clip demonstrated a much lethal operation of dominance and consistency than Seaver. The consistency is his humanities differentiator. As mentioned, his vocation prime commencement percent (70%) is tops among this group. Among each pitchers with astatine slightest 100 vocation starts, helium ranks fifth. Dead shot epoch pitchers get a limb up successful this stat, truthful the person is the reasonably anonymous Jeff Tesreau (72%), a standout for John McGraw's New York Giants during the 1910s. The others up of Seaver are a fascinating bunch. One is Babe Ruth, and different is Ernie Shore, who successful 1917 relieved Ruth erstwhile The Babe was ejected aft walking a batter to commencement a game. Shore replaced him, picked disconnected the batter who walked, past went connected to discontinue each 26 batters helium faced. The different up of Seaver: Jacob deGrom.

11. Don Sutton

FWP: 370.6 | Strikeouts: 3,574

Game people W-L: 437-319 (.578)

For a post-dead-ball pitcher, Sutton was a exemplary of durability. He ranks 3rd successful vocation starts (756) and seventh successful innings (5,283⅓). During the archetypal 15 seasons of his career, Sutton started 31 oregon much games 14 times and threw astatine slightest 207 innings for the Dodgers successful each season.

12. Clayton Kershaw

FWP: 367.5 | Strikeouts: 3,000

Game people W-L: 300-138 (.685)

And here's the impermanent of honor, our crushed for doing this ranking exercise. As you tin see, Kershaw joined the 300-game-score triumph nine successful his past commencement earlier Wednesday's milestone game, becoming the 38th member. In truthful galore measures of dominance, consistency and efficiency, Kershaw ranks arsenic 1 of the precise champion pitchers of each time. When you deliberation that he, Verlander and Scherzer are each successful the waning years of Hall of Fame careers, you can't assistance but wonderment who, if anyone, is going to articulation immoderate of the elite starting pitching statistical clubs successful the future.

13. Ferguson Jenkins

FWP: 353.8 | Strikeouts: 3,192

Game people W-L: 363-231 (.611)

Jenkins is successful the Hall of Fame, truthful we can't precisely accidental helium was overlooked. Still, it does consciousness similar he's a spot underrated connected the humanities scale. His FWP people ranks 17th among each pitchers, and the crippled people method gives him a important win-loss boost. That .611 percent you spot present is simply a bully spot higher than his existent .557 vocation winning percentage. He conscionable didn't play for precise galore bully teams and, successful fact, ne'er appeared successful the postseason. He's not the lone Hall of Famer associated with the Chicago Cubs who suffered that fate.

14. Gaylord Perry

FWP: 335.6 | Strikeouts: 3,534

Game people W-L: 398-292 (.577)

Perry, celebrated for doing, uh, immoderate it takes to triumph a game, famously hung astir past his expiration day to get to 300 wins, and helium ended up with 314. Poor Perry: If my crippled people method had been successful effect, he'd person discontinue 2 wins shy of 400. Would idiosyncratic person fixed him a changeable astatine getting determination successful 1984, erstwhile helium was 45? One of history's large what-if questions.

15. Phil Niekro

FWP: 332.5 | Strikeouts: 3,342

Game people W-L: 408-308 (.570)

Knucksie won 318 games, and mislaid 274, the benignant of vocation exemplified by his 1979 season, erstwhile helium went 21-20. We aren't apt to spot anyone again brace a 20-win play with a 20-loss season. His .537 accepted winning percent improves with the crippled people method, but he's inactive the debased antheral successful the 3K nine successful that column. Niekro joins Ryan and Sutton connected the database of those with 300 crippled people losses. Sutton, astatine 319, is the leader. The others: Tommy John, Tom Glavine and Jamie Moyer. Of course, they were each safely implicit the 300-game-score triumph threshold arsenic well.

16. CC Sabathia

FWP: 323.2 | Strikeouts: 3,093

Game people W-L: 339-221 (.605)

Sabathia volition beryllium inducted into the Hall of Fame adjacent month, and his spot successful this radical lone underscores however deserving helium is of that honor. Sabathia debuted successful 2001, and to scope the 250 traditional-win level (he won 251) successful this epoch is an astonishing feat. The lone pitcher successful that nine who debuted aboriginal is Verlander, stuck astatine 262 wins aft debuting successful 2005. Right now, it's hard to ideate who, if anyone, volition beryllium next. Of course, if we conscionable went with crippled people wins, that would beryllium different.

17. Bob Gibson

FWP: 321.0 | Strikeouts: 3,117

Game people W-L: 305-177 (.633)

Gibson, incidentally, besides won 251 games -- and besides gets capable boost from the crippled people method to ascent implicit 300. His revised percent is amended than his accepted people of .591. His mean crippled people ranks 3rd successful this group, a reflection of his dependable dominance but besides of the epoch successful which helium pitched. Gibson is tied for eighth successful prime commencement percent among each pitchers. In 1968, erstwhile Gibson owned the shot satellite with a 1.12 ERA, helium went 22-9 by the accepted method. The crippled people method: 26-8. You'd deliberation it would beryllium adjacent better, but it was, aft all, the Year of the Pitcher.

18. Bert Blyleven

FWP: 320.2 | Strikeouts: 3,701

Game people W-L: 391-294 (.571)

It took a prolonged run by statheads to rise consciousness astir Blyleven's greatness and assistance his eventual Cooperstown induction. He finished with 287 accepted wins, abbreviated of the humanities benchmark. Here helium would autumn abbreviated of the 400-win benchmark, but, nevertheless, helium is tied with John and Seaver for 11th connected the crippled people wins list. His existent winning percent was .534.

19. Curt Schilling

FWP: 307.1 | Strikeouts: 3,116

Game people W-L: 281-155 (.644)

There are 31 pitchers who person breached the 300 FWP level, and it's hard for maine to ideate however anyone successful that radical could beryllium near retired of Cooperstown. You tin benignant this retired for yourself successful presumption of shot and not shot reasons for this, but the radical not determination is Clemens, Schilling, John and Andy Pettitte, positive the greats (Kershaw, Verlander, Scherzer) who are inactive active.

20. John Smoltz

FWP: 273.8 | Strikeouts: 3,084

Game people W-L: 290-191 (.603)

Smoltz won 213 games the accepted way, and helium falls conscionable abbreviated of 300 by the revised method. But each of this is astir starting pitching, and with Smoltz, that overlooks a lot. After missing the 2000 play due to the fact that of injury, helium returned arsenic a reliever, and for 4 seasons helium was 1 of the best, logging 154 saves during that time. He's the lone subordinate of the 200-win, 100-save club.