Nolan Ryan: All about legendary pitcher who has the most strikeouts in MLB history 

There may be no better metric by which to judge an MLB pitcher by than strikeouts. When you simplify the game of baseball , it is a simple duel between pitcher and batter. If a strikeout is attained, the pitcher has demonstrated his dominance.

Throughout the history of the MLB, there have been some strikeout machines on the mound. Today, we are taking a look at the pitchers who have compiled the most strikeouts in history.

Justin Verlander is the current strikeout leader among current players.

The then 39-year old won the third Cy Young Award of his career last year with the Houston Astros, striking out 185 batters in 175 innings. Verlander is currently number 12 on the all-time strikeout list with 3,198 Ks. Verlander also holds the record for postseason strikeouts, with 215 of them.

"Justin Verlander now has the most postseason strikeouts in MLB history with 215." - @ FOX Sports: MLB

Many consider Curt Schilling to be the best pitcher in modern history. Although his legacy is tainted by scandal, Schilling is renowned for his ability to get some of the most potent batters in the league to whiff on his pitches. Schilling led the league in strikeouts for three consecutive seasons from 1996 to 1998 pitching for the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. Schilling is third all-time in strikeouts, with 4,672 strikeouts over his 24-year career.

Coming in at number two on the list is Randy Johnson. In 1995, Johnson led MLB starters in wins, ERA, WHIP, and of course strikeouts, winning the Cy Young Award with the Seattle Mariners that year. Johnson led MLB in strikeouts in 9 of his 24 seasons, compiling 4,875 total strikeouts over that time.

As strong as Johnson was, his name still doesn't top off the list of all-time MLB strikeout leaders. The number one spot belongs to pitching icon Nolan Ryan.

Ryan began his career with the 1968 New York Mets and won a World Series with the team the following year. Ryan is largely considered the best player of the 1970s, leading the league in strikeouts for 8 of the 9 seasons between 1972 and 1979. Ryan has the most strikeouts in history by a large margin, with 5,714. Ironically, the 1999 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee also has the most walks surrendered in league history with 2,795 of them. Ryan is regarded as the best pitcher never to win a Cy Young Award.

"Nolan Ryan had 7 no hitters but also has 12 one hitters. Dude was 12 hits away from 19 no hitters. That’s just stupid. And still never won a Cy Young" - @ Baseball History Nut

Is the next strikeout king playing in the MLB?

As referenced earlier in this article, Justin Verlander is the only active player in the top 15 in strikeouts. As he is likely to retire within the next two seasons, it may be a while before any pitcher is able to challenge Ryan's remarkable strikeout record.