Clayton Kershaw hit the 2,500 strikeout milestone on Thursday in the Dodgers 5-1 win over the Diamondbacks:

On Thursday night, Kershaw added to his growing collection at the New York museum in a 5-1 victory over the D-backs when he struck out Nick Ahmed for the first out of the 2nd inning to become the third-youngest pitcher in MLB history to strike out 2,500 batters. Only Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan (31 years, 101 days) and Walter Johnson (31 years, 197 days) accomplished the feat at a younger age.

MLB.com

Kershaw’s career started in 2008, and over that full season time frame he ranks third in the majors in total strikeouts. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are ahead of Kershaw, and even with Verlander injured, Kershaw will finish the season third. Note that there is not a bad pitcher in the top ten. Those pitchers have accounted for eleven of the twenty-four Cy Young Awards handed out in that time. That’s one reason strikeout rates keep rising, the K is rewarded.