1966–1993 · P

Nolan Ryan

6' 2", 170 lbs·Lived to 79·Bats R / Throws R

Hall of Fame · 1999All-Star

The Almanac's Take

The strikeout king threw harder for longer than anyone in baseball history, and the numbers prove it. Ryan's 5,714 career strikeouts remain untouchable — the next closest pitcher finished nearly 1,200 behind. His 27-season career spanned four decades, with that devastating fastball still touching triple digits well into his forties.

What made Ryan truly special wasn't just the velocity but the longevity. His 1981 season at age 34 produced a microscopic 1.69 ERA and an ERA+ of 212, meaning he was more than twice as effective as the average pitcher that year. Even late in his career, Ryan was striking out batters at rates that would make modern flame-throwers envious.

The control issues that kept him from more wins — that 324-292 record understates his dominance — also contributed to his mystique. Hitters knew the fastball was coming but still couldn't catch up to it.

Career Highs

1.69

Best ERA · 1981

Most W · 1974

383

Most K · 1973

1.006

Best WHIP · 1991

Career Arc · OPS

14 seasons

Career Arc · ERA

27 seasons

Statistical Comps

Hurston Waldrep

98%

2025 season

K/9 8.8 · BB/9 3.5 · HR/9 0.48 · SP · FB 95.9 mph · Whiff% 26

Framber Valdez

98%

2024 season

K/9 8.6 · BB/9 2.8 · HR/9 0.66 · SP · FB 94.1 mph · Whiff% 26

Career · Hitting

27 seasons

Year	Team	G	AB	HR	RBI	AVG	OPS	OPS+
1966	NYM	2	0	0	0	—	—	—
1968	NYM	21	44	0	2	.114	.266	—
1969	NYM	25	29	0	2	.103	.207	—
1970	NYM	27	45	0	0	.178	.356	50
1971	NYM	30	47	0	1	.128	.350	51
1972	CAL	39	96	0	3	.135	.361	54
1973	CAL	41	0	0	0	—	—	—
1974	CAL	42	0	0	0	—	—	—
1975	CAL	28	0	0	0	—	—	—
1976	CAL	39	0	0	0	—	—	—
1977	CAL	37	0	0	0	—	—	—
1978	CAL	31	0	0	0	—	—	—
1979	CAL	34	0	0	0	—	—	—
1980	HOU	35	70	1	6	.086	.295	41
1981	HOU	21	51	0	1	.216	.521	76
1982	HOU	35	83	0	3	.120	.291	41
1983	HOU	29	69	0	2	.072	.171	24
1984	HOU	30	61	0	1	.098	.258	36
1985	HOU	35	63	0	4	.111	.305	43
1986	HOU	30	59	0	5	.102	.218	30
1987	HOU	34	65	1	4	.062	.183	25
1988	HOU	33	70	0	2	.057	.165	24
1989	TEX	32	0	0	0	—	—	—
1990	TEX	30	0	0	0	—	—	—
1991	TEX	27	0	0	0	—	—	—
1992	TEX	27	0	0	0	—	—	—
1993	TEX	13	0	0	0	—	—	—
Career		807	852	2	36	.110	—	—

Career · Pitching

27 seasons

Year	Team	G	IP	W	L	ERA	ERA+	SO	WHIP
1966	NYM	2	3.0	0	1	15.00	23	6	2.667
1968	NYM	21	134.0	6	9	3.09	96	133	1.254
1969	NYM	25	89.3	6	3	3.53	102	92	1.265
1970	NYM	27	131.7	7	11	3.42	113	125	1.390
1971	NYM	30	152.0	10	14	3.97	87	137	1.586
1972	CAL	39	284.0	19	16	2.28	143	329	1.137
1973	CAL	41	326.0	21	16	2.87	130	383	1.227
1974	CAL	42	332.7	22	16	2.89	125	367	1.272
1975	CAL	28	198.0	14	12	3.45	107	186	1.434
1976	CAL	39	284.3	17	18	3.36	104	327	1.322
1977	CAL	37	299.0	19	16	2.77	144	341	1.344
1978	CAL	31	234.7	10	13	3.72	99	260	1.411
1979	CAL	34	222.7	16	14	3.60	111	223	1.271
1980	HOU	35	233.7	11	10	3.35	114	200	1.297
1981	HOU	21	149.0	11	5	1.69	212	140	1.121
1982	HOU	35	250.3	16	12	3.16	122	245	1.218
1983	HOU	29	196.3	14	9	2.98	130	183	1.197
1984	HOU	30	183.7	12	11	3.04	125	197	1.154
1985	HOU	35	232.0	10	12	3.80	102	209	1.293
1986	HOU	30	178.0	12	8	3.34	119	194	1.129
1987	HOU	34	211.7	8	16	2.76	155	270	1.139
1988	HOU	33	220.0	12	11	3.52	106	228	1.241
1989	TEX	32	239.3	16	10	3.20	116	301	1.086
1990	TEX	30	204.0	13	9	3.44	112	232	1.034
1991	TEX	27	173.0	12	6	2.91	134	203	1.006
1992	TEX	27	157.3	5	9	3.72	101	157	1.316
1993	TEX	13	66.3	5	5	4.88	86	46	1.417
Career		807	5386.0	324	292	—	—	5714	—

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