There isn't much left to add to Clayton Kershaw's resume that he hasn't already -- the future Hall of Famer is one of the greatest pitchers of all time and his spot in Cooperstown is all but assured. But the great left-hander reached a special milestone in 2022: the all-time Dodgers strikeout record. With a strikeout of Detroit's rookie first baseman Spencer Torkelson in the fourth inning on April 30, Kershaw passed Don Sutton's 2,696 strikeouts for the most in franchise history.

With that in mind, here's a look at each club's all-time strikeout king:

American League East

Blue Jays: Dave Stieb -- 1,658
One of the most dominant starting pitchers of the 1980s, Stieb is famously remembered for losing a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth inning on three occasions, two of them coming in back-to-back starts in 1988. He finally got that elusive no-no in 1990, but he also holds the distinction of striking out more batters than anyone in Blue Jays history. The right-hander’s career-high in strikeouts was 198 in 1984, though his best season overall came in ’85, when he led the AL with a 2.48 ERA over 265 innings.

Orioles: Jim Palmer -- 2,212
Outside of the great Tom Seaver, there was no more dominant pitcher during the decade of the 1970s than Palmer, who won three AL Cy Young Awards in four years from 1973-76. Although he never struck out 200 or more batters (his career-high was 199 in ’70), his consistent excellence resulted in a franchise strikeout record that hasn’t even come close to being matched -- in second place on the all-time franchise list is Mike Mussina, who had 1,535 while wearing a Baltimore uniform. Palmer struck out 90 more in postseason play, to go along with a 2.61 postseason ERA and three World Series rings with the Orioles.

Rays: James Shields -- 1,250
Yes, he’ll be remembered for giving up Bartolo Colon’s lone home run. But Shields was a very dependable starter for Tampa Bay from 2007-12, a span over which his ERA was 3.80 and he made 196 starts. He averaged close to eight strikeouts per nine innings during that time, and the right-hander was an All-Star in 2011, when he posted a 2.82 ERA with a career-high 225 strikeouts and finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting.

Red Sox: Roger Clemens -- 2,590
Clemens, who won a record seven Cy Young Awards and struck out 4,672 batters, which is second all-time to only Nolan Ryan, fanned more than 200 batters in eight of his 13 seasons with Boston from 1984-96. He led the AL three times in that span (1988, ’91 and ’96), and led the Majors twice, in 1988 and ’91. In 1986, he won the first of three Cy Young Awards he’d win with the Red Sox, as well as the AL MVP Award. He set a Major League record by striking out 20 in a game in 1986, and accomplished the feat again in '96 -- that record has since been equaled three times, once each by Kerry Wood, Randy Johnson and Max Scherzer. Clemens would, of course, go on to more success with other clubs, but it was in Boston where he rose to superstardom.

Yankees: Andy Pettitte -- 2,020
Just 64 strikeouts separate Pettitte from Hall of Famer Whitey Ford, who is second on the all-time strikeout list for the most storied franchise in baseball history. But Pettitte is at the top thanks to his consistency for the Yankees’ dynasty from 1996-2003, when they won four World Series titles, and again from 2007-13, when Pettitte helped New York win another World Series in ’09. The left-hander was runner-up in AL Cy Young Award voting in 1996, and his career-high for strikeouts was 180 in 2003.

AL Central

Guardians: Bob Feller -- 2,581
If he didn’t miss three years serving his country in World War II, Feller would likely have finished his legendary Hall of Fame career with more than 3,000 strikeouts. Considered the hardest-throwing pitcher of his time, the right-hander’s first Major League start at the age of 17 portended things to come. On Aug. 23, 1936, he struck out 15 St. Louis Browns hitters in 4-1 complete-game victory. Then, after going back to high school for his senior year, Feller led the Majors with 240 strikeouts in 1938, the first of seven seasons in which he’d lead the Majors in strikeouts. His career-high was 348 in 1946, a season in which he completed 36 games. Feller also threw three no-hitters and holds the franchise record for most strikeouts in a game, with 18 against the Tigers on Oct. 2, 1938.

Royals: Kevin Appier -- 1,458
Appier was one of the best starting pitchers of the early-1990s, posting a 3.22 ERA for Kansas City from 1990-97, a period in which he recorded 1,354 of his 1,458 career strikeouts. The right-hander’s finest season came in '93, when he finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting after pitching to a league-best 2.56 ERA over 238 2/3 innings. His career-high in strikeouts came three years later, however, when he fanned 207 batters in ’96.

Tigers: Mickey Lolich -- 2,679
Lolich will forever be remembered in Tigers lore for being the MVP of the 1968 World Series, in which he stymied the Cardinals in three starts, posting a 1.67 ERA with 21 strikeouts and just six walks over 27 innings during Detroit’s seven-game victory. But the left-hander was also one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history, finishing his 13-season career as a Tiger with a 3.45 ERA and 2,679 strikeouts over 3,361 2/3 innings. His finest campaign was in 1971, when he led the Majors in wins (25), complete games (29), innings pitched (376) and strikeouts (a career-high 308) to finish second in AL Cy Young Award voting.

Twins: Walter Johnson -- 3,509
“The Big Train” was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history, ranking ninth on the all-time strikeouts list and owner of the all-time record for shutouts, with 110. And that’s not even to mention his 417 wins and 2.17 ERA over a 21-year career with the Washington Senators, who moved to Minnesota and became the Twins in 1961. The all-time strikeout leader for the Twins in the Minnesota era is Bert Blyleven, who fanned 2,035 batters in 11 years (two stints) with the club. Blyleven actually struck out more batters for his career than Johnson, fanning 1,666 batters over 11 seasons with the Rangers, Pirates, Cleveland and the Angels, for a total of 3,701 (fifth all-time).

White Sox: Billy Pierce -- 1,796
Pierce is one of the more underrated pitchers in baseball history. He was a seven-time All-Star who had a 3.27 ERA over 18 Major League seasons, 13 of which were with the White Sox from 1949-61. He led the AL with 186 strikeouts in 1953, led the Majors with a 1.97 ERA in ’55, and led the league in complete games each year from 1956-58. Overall, Pierce finished one strikeout shy of 2,000 for his career, during which he also pitched for the Tigers and Giants.

AL West

Angels: Nolan Ryan -- 2,416
That’s already a ton of strikeouts, but we can make it even more impressive -- Ryan only spent eight seasons with the Angels, giving him an average of 302 strikeouts per season in his time there. As an Angel, Ryan led the Majors in strikeouts seven times, made five All-Star teams, finished in the top three in Cy Young Award voting three times, and had each of his top five strikeout seasons (his career-high was a single-season record 383 in 1973).

Athletics: Eddie Plank -- 1,985
Plank has held onto the A’s record for over 100 years, and his total was well-deserved. He debuted in 1901 as a 25-year-old and never once led the league in strikeouts, pitching to a 2.35 ERA over sixteen seasons. He was so prolific in his career -- he made 458 starts, threw 362 complete games, and pitched 3860 2/3 innings – that he remains the top player in franchise history by WAR (77.2).

Astros: Nolan Ryan -- 1,866
There are only 30 active franchises in Major League Baseball, so what are the odds of one pitcher holding the strikeout records for two of them? We’re not sure, but they’re probably substantially higher when you hold the Major League record too, as Ryan does. With 5,714 K’s in a staggering 5,386 innings of work in his career, he is appropriately the only player to lead two franchises in the category.

Mariners: Félix Hernández -- 2,524
For most of the 21st century, Hernández has been synonymous with Mariners baseball, perhaps more than anyone not named Ichiro. The 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner also finished in the top ten of AL Cy Young Award voting five times, made six All-Star teams and won two ERA titles. While Hernández has since left Seattle, and hasn't pitched in Majors since 2019, he has still only officially pitched for the Mariners. Hernández’s record is likely going to stand for some time, as the closest active pitcher on the list -- James Paxton at 619 -- is no longer with the organization.

Rangers: Charlie Hough -- 1,452
While many, if not most, knuckleballs are developed as a last resort, Hough is a rare example of a player who started his Major League career with one, and, as a result, he had incredible staying power, finally retiring in 1994 at the age of 46 after 25 years in the big leagues. While Hough only hit the 200-strikeout mark once in his career, he spent 11 seasons in Texas and still holds the franchise records for games started (313) and innings pitched (2,308).

National League East

Braves: John Smoltz -- 3,011
Smoltz was a mainstay in Atlanta, spending 20 solid years with the Braves from 1988-2008. That he’s in the Hall of Fame is probably saying enough, but we can go on. He made eight All-Star teams and won the 1996 NL Cy Young Award after striking out a career-high 276 batters (which also led all of baseball) over 253 2/3 innings. And, unlike many on this list, Smoltz doesn't lead the Braves in any service time-related categories -- he ranks fifth in innings pitched, nearly 1,700 innings behind Warren Spahn.

Marlins: Ricky Nolasco -- 1,001
The Marlins are still a young franchise, so the eight seasons Nolasco spent in Miami from 2006-13 are still tied with Josh Johnson for the most by any pitcher. In addition to the strikeout record, Nolasco leads the franchise in games started (197), innings pitched (1,225 2/3) and wins (81).

Mets: Tom Seaver -- 2,541
Widely considered to be the greatest pitcher in Mets history -- Citi Field is literally located at 41 Seaver Way in Queens, and in 2022, a statue was erected outside of the stadium in his honor -- Seaver also holds the franchise records for innings pitched (3,045 2/3) and wins (198), and as of the start of the 2021 season, his Mets career ERA of 2.57 has only been surpassed by Jacob deGrom (2.50, min. 1,000 innings pitched). Seaver’s career accolades are almost too many to count: He was the 1967 NL Rookie of the Year, winner of three Cy Young Awards and three ERA titles, a 12-time All-Star, won 25 games for the World Series champion 1969 Mets and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.

Nationals: Stephen Strasburg -- 1,718
Nats history only goes as far back as 2005, but the franchise's history goes back to the Montreal Expos’ inaugural season in 1969, making Strasburg’s place in their record books all the more impressive. The veteran right-hander has made three All-Star appearances, finished in the top five of NL Cy Young Award voting twice, led the NL in strikeouts in 2014 (242), and won a World Series in 2019. That season, he went 18-6 and pitched a league-best 209 innings, with a 3.32 ERA and 1.04 WHIP and 251 strikeouts. With the departure of Max Scherzer, who is third in franchise history with 1,610 K’s as a National, this record is likely safe for a while.

Phillies: Steve Carlton -- 3,031
Carlton spent 15 seasons (out of 24 total) in Philadelphia, posting a 3.09 ERA and .600 winning percentage. The Hall of Famer also threw 185 complete games in that period, accounting for nearly 40% of his starts. Carlton made seven of his ten overall All-Star appearances as a member of the Phillies and won all four of his Cy Young Awards, the first of which came in 1972, a season in which he won the triple crown with a 1.97 ERA, 23 wins and a career-best 310 strikeouts. Carlton's closest active competition, Aaron Nola, is still behind by nearly 2,000 K’s, leaving this record virtually unassailable for the time being.

NL Central

Brewers: Yovani Gallardo -- 1,226
Gallardo barely edges out his old teammate Ben Sheets, who had 1,206 strikeouts during his eight-year Brewers career. Gallardo, who also spent eight years with the team, was a workhorse for the early-2010s Brewers, throwing more than 180 innings in every season from 2009-14. In 2012, he became the first Brewers pitcher to top 200 strikeouts in four straight seasons. He made the All-Star Game in 2010, and finished seventh in the NL Cy Young Award race in '11.

Cardinals: Bob Gibson -- 3,117
With an NL MVP Award, two NL Cy Young Awards, nine All-Star selections, nine Gold Glove Awards and two World Series rings (not to mention two World Series MVP Awards), Gibson was among the most dominant starting pitchers of all time during a career spent entirely with the Cardinals. The St. Louis legend topped 200 strikeouts nine times. In 1974, Gibson became just the second pitcher to record 3,000 strikeouts, joining Walter Johnson. During the 1968 season, Gibson posted what some regard as the greatest season from a starting pitcher when he finished with 22 wins, a 1.12 ERA and 268 strikeouts over 304 innings en route to winning the Cy Young and MVP Awards, as well as the World Series.

Cubs: Fergie Jenkins -- 2,038
Best known for his tenure with the Cubs from 1966-73, Jenkins remains Chicago’s all-time strikeout king. Jenkins led the Majors in strikeouts in 1969, and won the NL Cy Young Award in 1971, while making three All-Star teams during his tenure in Chicago. The Hall of Famer eclipsed 270 innings pitched during each of his seven full seasons with the Cubs, leading to a 2,038 strikeout number that doesn’t appear to be getting broken any time soon.

Pirates: Bob Friend -- 1,682
Friend, nicknamed “Warrior” for his excellent work ethic, pitched in 15 seasons for the Pirates, including the 1960 World Series championship team. During that season, Friend went 18-12 with a 3.00 ERA and 183 strikeouts over 275 2/3 innings. Despite playing his final game with Pittsburgh in 1965, Friend still leads the franchise in games started (477) and innings pitched (3,480 1/3) as well.

Reds: Jim Maloney -- 1,592
Although injuries cut short what could have been a Hall of Fame career, Maloney edges out Mario Soto for the all-time Reds strikeouts title. Maloney, who led the Reds’ rotation throughout the entirety of the 1960s, was one of the top starters of the decade. The right-hander was seventh in all of baseball in strikeouts from 1960-69. He had a penchant for silencing opposing teams’ bats. Maloney had two no-hitters over his career, one in nine innings and another in 10 innings. He also once lost a no-hitter in the 11th inning and was forced to leave two no-hitters in the seventh inning thanks to injuries.

NL West

D-backs: Randy Johnson -- 2,077
Johnson, perhaps the best left-handed starting pitcher of all time, played for six franchises over his 22-year career. But he chose to enter the Hall of Fame representing only one team: The Arizona D-backs. The towering lefty leads the D-backs, who were established as an expansion team in 1998, with 2,077 of his 4,875 career strikeouts, which ranks second all-time to Nolan Ryan. Johnson spent more years in Seattle with the Mariners, but the most dominant period came in the Valley of the Sun. Johnson won four Cy Youngs and the 2001 World Series, of which he was the co-MVP, during his two stints and eight seasons with the D-backs.

Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw -- 2,968
Kershaw fittingly added the distinction of all-time Dodgers strikeout king to his Hall of Fame resume by fanning Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson for the first out of the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on April 30, 2022. He then proceeded to strike out the side for good measure. Kershaw is a three-time NL Cy Young Award winner and was the 2014 NL MVP. He led the league in strikeouts three times (2011, '13 and '15) and led the Majors in '15. He also has four MLB ERA titles (2011-14) and an NL ERA title (2017). He broke the franchise strikeout mark set by Don Sutton, who held the record for 43 years.

Giants: Christy Mathewson -- 2,504
No surprise here. Mathewson spent 17 years with the New York Giants before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds during his final season. He pitched 1,200 more innings than any pitcher in Giants history, so his rank at the top of the franchise’s all-time strikeout list isn’t a shock. Mathewson is regarded as one of the best pitchers in baseball history, recording a career ERA of 2.13 with 79 shutouts and 373 wins. Juan Marichal leads the franchise with 2,281 strikeouts since the Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958. More recent stars Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum finished their Giants careers with 1,794, and 1,704, respectively.

Padres: Jake Peavy -- 1,348
Arguably the best starting pitcher in Padres history, Peavy’s status atop San Diego’s all-time strikeout list is fitting. He enjoyed eight electric seasons with the Padres to kick off his career. His tenure in San Diego reached its peak in 2007, when the fiery right-hander started the All-Star Game for the NL and eventually won the NL Cy Young Award unanimously. That year, he led the league with 19 wins, a 2.54 ERA and 240 strikeouts, recording the only pitching Triple Crown in Padres history. Peavy was traded to the White Sox in 2009, and won World Series championships with the 2013 Red Sox and 2014 Giants, but he will be remembered most for those dominant seasons in San Diego during the mid-2000s.

Rockies: Jorge De La Rosa -- 985
De La Rosa started games in Coors Field for nine years from 2008-16, a period in which De La Rosa earned a reputation as a sort of conqueror of the hitter’s paradise in Denver, sporting the team's all-time record for best winning percentage at Coors Field (.763). That success earned him a long career with the Rockies and a spot atop the franchise’s all-time strikeout list. But his number one ranking may not last much longer. Germán Márquez, whose contract with the Rockies runs through 2023, is within striking distance.