On May 8, 2001, Randy Johnson struck out 20 Cincinnati Reds in nine innings, becoming the fifth pitcher in MLB history, at the time, to record 20 Ks in a single contest.
Today, five hurlers have accomplished the feat a combined six times. Let's examine them all and rank them from No. 6 to No. 1, keeping in mind each pitcher's overall stat line on the day in question, the strength of each opponent and the historical context while applying a healthy dash of subjectivity.
There's no such thing as an unimpressive 20-strikeout effort. But some were even more impressive than others.