Nolan Ryan

Art Rogers, Los Angeles Times / CC BY 4.0

Nolan Ryan

1966–1993 · Bats R · Throws R · 6'2", 170 lb · b. 1947 Refugio, TX

Career 324–292 · 3.19 ERA · 5,714 SO · 5386.0 IP · 807 G · 94 H · 2 HR · 36 RBI · .110 AVG

Seasons leading his league

34

27 best in baseball 7 league only

69 Top-5 finishes

13 Title seasons

8 Categories led

1990 Best season

Spanning 1972–1991, peaking at 4 titles in 1990.

Clubs 300 Win Club 3,000 Strikeout Club 300 Strikeout Seasons ×6 20 Win Seasons ×2 Sub-2.00 ERA Seasons

Team records #1 Astros career ERA #1 Astros career SO #1 Angels career SO #1 Astros 1981 ERA #1 Angels 1974 W #1 Angels 1973 SO #1 Rangers 1989 SO #1 Angels 1974 IP #2 Angels career ERA #2 Angels career IP

Led in Strikeouts / 9 for 5 straight seasons (1987–1991) — his longest run atop any category.

All-Time Standing

Against every player since 1871

Among league leaders

48th League titles 34
17th Best in baseball 27
171st Top-5 finishes 69

Each rank is against the players who have achieved that thing at least once.

Career leaderboards

1st Strikeouts 5,714
5th Innings Pitched 5386.0
7th Shutouts 61
14th Wins 324
22nd Strikeouts / 9 9.55
81st Pitcher Putouts 220
113th Complete Games 222
189th Pitcher Assists 547
251st Earned Run Average 3.19
324th Walks + Hits / IP 1.25

All-time career totals, top 500 per category.

Where He Led

led all of MLB led his league

Category	Titles	Best	Streak	Seasons
Strikeouts / 9	12	1st	5 yrs (1987–1991)	1972 10.43 1973 10.57 1974 9.93 1976 10.35 1977 10.26 1978 9.97 1987 11.48 1989 11.32 1990 10.24 1991 10.56 1979 AL 9.01 1988 NL 9.33 1975 #2 1980 #3 1981 #2 1982 #2 1983 #2 1984 #2 1986 #2
Strikeouts	11	1st	4 yrs (1976–1979)	1972 329 1973 383 1974 367 1976 327 1977 341 1987 270 1989 301 1978 AL 260 1979 AL 223 1988 NL 228 1990 AL 232 1980 #2 1982 #3 1985 #3 1991 #3
Shutouts	3	1st	—	1972 9 1976 7 1979 5 1975 #3
Pitcher Fielding Percentage	2	1st	2 yrs (1990–1991)	1990 1.000 1991 1.000
Walks + Hits / IP	2	1st	2 yrs (1990–1991)	1991 1.01 1990 AL 1.03 1989 #2
Earned Run Average	2	1st	—	1981 1.69 1987 2.76 1977 #3
Complete Games	1	1st	—	1977 22 1972 #3 1973 #2 1979 #2
Innings Pitched	1	1st	—	1974 332.2 1973 #3 1977 #3
Wins	—	#3	—	1974 #3

Title Seasons

13 seasons with at least one title

Year	Titles	Led in
1991	3	WHIP 1.01 K/9 10.56 P FPCT 1.000
1990	4	SO 232 WHIP 1.03 K/9 10.24 P FPCT 1.000
1989	2	SO 301 K/9 11.32
1988	2	SO 228 K/9 9.33
1987	3	ERA 2.76 SO 270 K/9 11.48
1981	1	ERA 1.69
1979	3	SO 223 K/9 9.01 SHO 5
1978	2	SO 260 K/9 9.97
1977	3	SO 341 K/9 10.26 CG 22
1976	3	SO 327 K/9 10.35 SHO 7
1974	3	SO 367 IP 332.2 K/9 9.93
1973	2	SO 383 K/9 10.57
1972	3	SO 329 K/9 10.43 SHO 9

Pitching

led the league 27 seasons

Year	Team	Lg	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP
1966	NYN	NL	0	1	15.00	2	1	0	3.0	5	5	1	3	6	2.67
1968	NYN	NL	6	9	3.09	21	18	0	134.0	93	46	12	75	133	1.25
1969	NYN	NL	6	3	3.53	25	10	1	89.1	60	35	3	53	92	1.27
1970	NYN	NL	7	11	3.42	27	19	1	131.2	86	50	10	97	125	1.39
1971	NYN	NL	10	14	3.97	30	26	0	152.0	125	67	8	116	137	1.59
1972	CAL	AL	19	16	2.28	39	39	0	284.0	166	72	14	157	329	1.14
1973	CAL	AL	21	16	2.87	41	39	1	326.0	238	104	18	162	383	1.23
1974	CAL	AL	22	16	2.89	42	41	0	332.2	221	107	18	202	367	1.27
1975	CAL	AL	14	12	3.45	28	28	0	198.0	152	76	13	132	186	1.43
1976	CAL	AL	17	18	3.36	39	39	0	284.1	193	106	13	183	327	1.32
1977	CAL	AL	19	16	2.77	37	37	0	299.0	198	92	12	204	341	1.34
1978	CAL	AL	10	13	3.72	31	31	0	234.2	183	97	12	148	260	1.41
1979	CAL	AL	16	14	3.60	34	34	0	222.2	169	89	15	114	223	1.27
1980	HOU	NL	11	10	3.35	35	35	0	233.2	205	87	10	98	200	1.30
1981	HOU	NL	11	5	1.69	21	21	0	149.0	99	28	2	68	140	1.12
1982	HOU	NL	16	12	3.16	35	35	0	250.1	196	88	20	109	245	1.22
1983	HOU	NL	14	9	2.98	29	29	0	196.1	134	65	9	101	183	1.20
1984	HOU	NL	12	11	3.04	30	30	0	183.2	143	62	12	69	197	1.15
1985	HOU	NL	10	12	3.80	35	35	0	232.0	205	98	12	95	209	1.29
1986	HOU	NL	12	8	3.34	30	30	0	178.0	119	66	14	82	194	1.13
1987	HOU	NL	8	16	2.76	34	34	0	211.2	154	65	14	87	270	1.14
1988	HOU	NL	12	11	3.52	33	33	0	220.0	186	86	18	87	228	1.24
1989	TEX	AL	16	10	3.20	32	32	0	239.1	162	85	17	98	301	1.09
1990	TEX	AL	13	9	3.44	30	30	0	204.0	137	78	18	74	232	1.03
1991	TEX	AL	12	6	2.91	27	27	0	173.0	102	56	12	72	203	1.01
1992	TEX	AL	5	9	3.72	27	27	0	157.1	138	65	9	69	157	1.32
1993	TEX	AL	5	5	4.88	13	13	0	66.1	54	36	5	40	46	1.42
Career	—	—	324	292	3.19	807	773	3	5386.0	3,923	1,911	321	2,795	5,714	1.25

Batting

27 seasons

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
1966	NYN	NL	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—
1968	NYN	NL	21	44	2	5	0	0	0	2	2	29	0	.114	.152	.114	.266
1969	NYN	NL	25	29	3	3	0	0	0	2	0	14	0	.103	.103	.103	.207
1970	NYN	NL	27	45	2	8	0	0	0	0	0	21	1	.178	.178	.178	.356
1971	NYN	NL	30	47	4	6	0	1	0	1	3	21	0	.128	.180	.170	.350
1972	CAL	AL	39	96	4	13	5	1	0	3	2	48	1	.135	.153	.208	.361
1973	CAL	AL	41	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—
1974	CAL	AL	42	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—
1975	CAL	AL	28	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—
1976	CAL	AL	39	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—
1977	CAL	AL	37	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—
1978	CAL	AL	31	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—
1979	CAL	AL	34	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—
1980	HOU	NL	35	70	5	6	0	0	1	6	7	29	0	.086	.167	.129	.295
1981	HOU	NL	21	51	3	11	1	0	0	1	5	18	0	.216	.286	.235	.521
1982	HOU	NL	35	83	5	10	0	0	0	3	5	37	0	.121	.171	.121	.291
1983	HOU	NL	29	69	3	5	0	0	0	2	2	29	0	.073	.099	.073	.171
1984	HOU	NL	30	61	3	6	2	0	0	1	2	26	1	.098	.127	.131	.258
1985	HOU	NL	35	63	2	7	2	0	0	4	4	21	0	.111	.162	.143	.305
1986	HOU	NL	30	59	1	6	0	0	0	5	1	22	0	.102	.117	.102	.218
1987	HOU	NL	34	65	2	4	0	0	1	4	1	22	0	.062	.076	.108	.184
1988	HOU	NL	33	70	1	4	0	0	0	2	4	34	0	.057	.108	.057	.165
1989	TEX	AL	32	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—
1990	TEX	AL	30	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—
1991	TEX	AL	27	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—
1992	TEX	AL	27	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—
1993	TEX	AL	13	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—
Career	—	—	807	852	40	94	10	2	2	36	38	371	3	.110	.148	.134	.282

Fielding

1 position

Year	Team	Lg	Pos	G	GS	INN	PO	A	E	DP	TC	FLD%	RF
1966	NYN	NL	P	2	1	3.0	1	0	0	0	1	1.000	0.50
1968	NYN	NL	P	21	18	134.0	5	11	4	0	20	.800	0.76
1969	NYN	NL	P	25	10	89.1	0	4	1	0	5	.800	0.16
1970	NYN	NL	P	27	19	132.0	11	10	4	2	25	.840	0.78
1971	NYN	NL	P	30	26	152.0	5	15	3	2	23	.870	0.67
1972	CAL	AL	P	39	39	284.0	7	28	6	2	41	.854	0.90
1973	CAL	AL	P	41	39	326.0	11	28	2	1	41	.951	0.95
1974	CAL	AL	P	42	41	332.2	12	48	6	1	66	.909	1.43
1975	CAL	AL	P	28	28	198.0	12	18	7	3	37	.811	1.07
1976	CAL	AL	P	39	39	284.1	14	34	7	1	55	.873	1.23
1977	CAL	AL	P	37	37	299.0	20	35	8	1	63	.873	1.49
1978	CAL	AL	P	31	31	234.2	13	33	8	3	54	.852	1.48
1979	CAL	AL	P	34	34	222.2	8	29	4	1	41	.902	1.09
1980	HOU	NL	P	35	35	233.2	13	27	5	0	45	.889	1.14
1981	HOU	NL	P	21	21	149.0	5	16	1	3	22	.955	1.00
1982	HOU	NL	P	35	35	250.1	9	33	2	1	44	.955	1.20
1983	HOU	NL	P	29	29	196.1	4	28	2	0	34	.941	1.10
1984	HOU	NL	P	30	30	183.2	7	11	2	0	20	.900	0.60
1985	HOU	NL	P	35	35	232.0	6	20	2	0	28	.929	0.74
1986	HOU	NL	P	30	30	178.0	10	17	2	2	29	.931	0.90
1987	HOU	NL	P	34	34	211.2	11	18	1	1	30	.967	0.85
1988	HOU	NL	P	33	33	220.0	8	18	4	0	30	.867	0.79
1989	TEX	AL	P	32	32	239.1	11	19	3	0	33	.909	0.94
1990	TEX	AL	P	30	30	204.0	7	13	0	1	20	1.000	0.67
1991	TEX	AL	P	27	27	173.0	7	14	0	1	21	1.000	0.78
1992	TEX	AL	P	27	27	157.1	2	16	3	1	21	.857	0.67
1993	TEX	AL	P	13	13	66.1	1	4	3	0	8	.625	0.39
Career	—	—	P	807	773	5386.1	220	547	90	27	857	.895	0.95