Nolan Ryan

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Lore & Background

Ryan was a right-handed power pitcher who consistently threw pitches that were clocked above 100 miles per hour (161 km/h), being one of the first pitchers to officially be able to do so. He maintained this velocity throughout his pitching career, being known as one of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball into his mid-40s. Ryan was also known to throw a devastating 12–6 curveball at exceptional velocity for a breaking ball. Ryan had a lifetime win–loss record of 324–292 (.526) and was an eight-time All-Star. He has 5,714 career strikeouts, an MLB record that is 839 more than runner-up Randy Johnson. Similarly, Ryan's 2,795 bases on balls lead second-place Steve Carlton by 962 – walking over 50% more hitters than any other pitcher in MLB history. Ryan's lifetime batting average against of .204 is also a major league record. He recorded 300 strikeouts in a season six different times, a Major League record, and 200 strikeouts in a season 15 times, also a Major League record. Ryan, Pedro Martínez, Johnson, Trevor Hoffman, Sandy Koufax, and Billy Wagner are the six pitchers inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame who had more strikeouts than innings pitched. Ryan is one of three players in history to have his number retired by at least three teams, along with Jackie Robinson (whose number was retired by Major League Baseball) and Frank Robinson. Ryan is the all-time leader in no-hitters with seven, three more than any other pitcher. He is tied with Bob Feller for the most one-hitters, with 12. Ryan also pitched 18 two-hitters. Despite this, he never pitched a perfect game, nor did he ever win a Cy Young Award; both were largely attributed to his high walk rate. Ryan is one of 31 players in baseball history to have appeared in MLB games in four different decades, and retired over 7 years later than the next longest-tenured player of the 1965 Major League Baseball draft, Tom Seaver.

In Their Own Story

The humid air of late summer hung heavy over Fulton County Stadium as Nolan Ryan stepped onto the rubber for the seventh inning. The crowd hushed, sensing the rarity of the moment: watching a man in his forties throw with the velocity of a twenty-year-old. The fastball shattered through the strike zone like a bullet, leaving the batter swinging at air. For those few minutes, time seemed to stop; Ryan was not just playing for Atlanta, he was defying gravity itself.

Reader's Guide

Ryan never played for the Atlanta Braves. His MLB career was spent entirely with the New York Mets (1966, 1968–1971), California Angels (1972–1979), Houston Astros (1980–1988), and Texas Rangers (1989–1993). He was traded from the Mets to the Angels in December 1971, and later signed with the Rangers as a free agent after leaving the Astros. There is no record of any trade or tenure involving the Atlanta Braves.

Did You Know?

• Ryan threw seven no-hitters in his career, more than any other pitcher in MLB history.
• He struck out 5,714 batters, an MLB record that stands 839 ahead of second-place Randy Johnson.
• Ryan is one of only three players to have his number retired by at least three teams (along with Jackie Robinson and Frank Robinson).
• He never won a Cy Young Award despite his legendary career, largely due to his high walk rate.