16 facts that illustrate Nolan Ryan’s impact
A model of this story unique ran in December 2021.
There’s by no means been one other pitcher fairly like Nolan Ryan.
The flamethrowing right-hander was a statistical marvel, with extra strikeouts (5,714) and walks (2,795) than some other pitcher in historical past, seven no-hitters and 324 wins. He was additionally a bodily anomaly, pitching at a excessive stage into his mid-40s.
Ryan was inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first likelihood in 1999, chosen on 491 of 497 ballots submitted by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, the fifth-highest share (98.79%) after Mariano Rivera (100%), Derek Jeter (99.75%), Ken Griffey Jr. (99.32%) and Tom Seaver (98.84%).
Here are 16 information and figures that present the immense impression Ryan made throughout his profession.
• In addition to his seven no-hitters, Ryan threw 12 one-hitters, tied with Feller for probably the most since at the least 1901. He additionally had 18 two-hitters, tied with Walter Johnson for probably the most in that very same span.
• He holds the all-time file (min. 1,000 innings) for the bottom hits-per-nine-innings mark. The righty allowed 3,923 hits in 5,386 innings for a H/9 of 6.56. Ryan led his league in H/9 12 instances, six greater than some other pitcher.
• Ryan is the one pitcher in AL/NL historical past with at the least 5,000 strikeouts. He’s additionally the one pitcher with at the least 2,000 walks. All advised, greater than 38% of the plate appearances towards him ended with out the ball being put into play.
• Randy Johnson ranks second all time behind Ryan with 4,875 Okay’s, having pitched till his age-45 season. Even if Johnson pitched one other 4 years and averaged 200 Okay’s per season in that span, he nonetheless wouldn’t have caught up with Ryan. Meanwhile, Bruce Hurst (No. 152 on the record) is nearer in Okay’s to Bert Blyleven (No. 5 on the record) than Blyleven is to Ryan.
• Ryan led his league in strikeouts 11 instances. Only Walter Johnson did it extra (12). Ryan and Johnson every completed among the many league’s high 5 in strikeouts 18 instances, tied for probably the most all time. He reached the 200-strikeout plateau in 15 seasons, two greater than anybody else. Randy Johnson ranks second with 13. Ryan and the Big Unit had six 300-Okay seasons apiece, tied for probably the most. No different pitcher has recorded 300-plus Okay’s in a season greater than thrice.
• Ryan posted 383 strikeouts in 1973, which stands because the Modern Era (since 1900) file. The very subsequent 12 months, he compiled 367 Okay’s, which is the fourth-highest Modern Era whole.
• On June 14, 1974, Ryan purportedly threw 235 pitches in a begin towards the Red Sox. Ryan’s stat line from that recreation: 13 innings, 19 strikeouts, 10 walks, 58 batters confronted, three runs allowed. It marked considered one of thrice in his profession (twice throughout 1974) that Ryan had 19 Okay’s in an extra-inning recreation. Ryan made his subsequent begin on simply three days’ relaxation and fired six scoreless innings towards the Yankees.
• Ryan recorded 19 Okay’s in an look of 9 innings or fewer as soon as, on Aug. 12, 1974, towards Boston. The efficiency tied a then-record for strikeouts in an outing of 9 innings or fewer. Roger Clemens (twice), Kerry Wood, Randy Johnson and Scherzer would later high it with 20 Okay’s.
• Ryan pitched in 4 a long time, debuting as a 19-year-old for the Mets in 1966 and taking part in his final recreation for the Rangers as a 46-year-old in 1993. He’s the one pitcher in AL/NL historical past to seem within the Majors as a young person and in his age-45 season or older.
• On June 11, 1990, at 43 years and 131 days previous, Ryan grew to become the oldest pitcher in AL/NL historical past to toss a no-hitter. Less than a 12 months later, Ryan topped himself on the age of 44 years and 90 days, firing the seventh and closing no-no of his profession.
• He struck out 200-plus batters in a season 5 instances in his 40s. In AL/NL historical past, there have been solely 4 different 200-strikeout seasons by pitchers of their 40s — two by Randy Johnson, one by Clemens and one by Phil Niekro.
• Ryan by no means led his league in wins and even completed among the many high three, however he gained 10 or extra video games 20 instances, tied with Greg Maddux for the second most in historical past behind Don Sutton’s 21 seasons. Ryan grew to become the twentieth member of the 300-win membership in 1990 and completed his profession with 324 wins.
• Interestingly, Ryan confirmed a lot sharper management within the postseason than he did within the common season. His profession stroll fee over 58 2/3 innings in the course of the playoffs was 6.2%, and he had only one wild pitch and did not hit a single batter in his postseason profession. Ryan had a 12.4% stroll fee within the common season, and he ranks second all time in wild pitches (277) and fifteenth in hit batsmen (158).
• Ryan made such an infinite impression throughout his time with the Angels, Astros and Rangers that his quantity — 30 with the Angels, 34 with the Astros and Rangers — is retired by all three golf equipment. Not together with Jackie Robinson, whose No. 42 is universally retired throughout Major League Baseball, Ryan is the one participant to have his quantity retired by as many as three franchises.
