In baseball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safely as a result. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is usually denoted by the letter K, or sometimes by the initialism SO. [1]
Reggie Jackson [2] [3] [4] holds the record for the most career strikeouts by a batter with 2,597. [5] Jim Thome [6] (2,548), Adam Dunn [7] (2,379), Sammy Sosa [8] (2,306), Alex Rodriguez [9] (2,287), Miguel Cabrera [10] (2,105), and Andrés Galarraga [11] (2,003) are the only other hitters to strike out over 2,000 times.
Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career strikeouts. A blank field indicates a tie. |
Player (2025 Ks) | Number of strikeouts during the 2025 Major League Baseball season. |
K | Total career strikeouts. |
* | Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. |
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Bold | Denotes active player. [note 1] |