Even if you were to find that there isn't any statistically significant difference in the number of pitches for a strikeout pitcher and a contact pitcher of comparable skill, it might be more meaningful to look at their relative average number of inning per season. A strikeout pitcher might be all used up for the season after 180 innings because he throws so hard, while the contact pitcher might have another 40 or so innings left in the tank. Might be an argument that the contact pitcher is more valuable.
just to see if there is any merit to this, as it is a fair and legitimate question:
Top 10 in K/9:
1. darvish - 209 IP, 6.53 IP per start
2. scherzer - 214 IP, 6.69 IP per start
3. sanchez - 182 IP, 6.28 IP per start
4. burnett - 191 IP, 6.37 IP per start
5. fernandez - 172 IP, 6.14 IP per start
6. harvey - 178 IP, 6.84 IP per start
7. jimenez - 182 IP, 5.69 IP per start
8. hernandez - 204 IP, 6.58 per start
9. sale - 214 IP, 7.13 IP per start
10. strasburg - 183 IP, 6.1 IP per start
AVERAGE: 192 IP, 6.43 IP per start
Bottom 10 in K/9:
1. Guthrie - 211 IP, 6.39 IP per start
2. Correia - 185 IP, 5.97 IP per start
3. Saunders - 183 IP, 5.71 IP per start
4. Kendrick - 182 IP, 6.06 IP per start
5. Arroyo - 202 IP, 6.31 IP per start
6. Colon - 190 IP, 6.33 IP per start
7. Lohse - 198 IP, 6.19 IP per start
8. Williams - 169 IP, 6.76 IP per start (also had 12 relief appearances, i did not include these, if i did: 4.57 IP per game)
9. Leake - 192 IP, 6.19 IP per start
10. Chacin - 197 IP, 6.35 IP per start
AVERAGE: 190 IP, 6.22 IP per start (if you do Williams' appearances total and not starts, it dips to 6.00 IP per start)