What years did Nolan Ryan play?

Nolan Ryan played in Major League Baseball from 1966 to 1993.

Was Nolan Ryan a pitcher?

Yes. Nolan Ryan pitched in the major leagues, recording 324 wins and 5714 strikeouts.

How many home runs did Nolan Ryan hit?

Nolan Ryan hit 2 career home runs with 94 hits.

What teams did Nolan Ryan play for?

Nolan Ryan played for 4 teams: the New York Mets (1966, 1968–1971), the California Angels (1972–1979), the Houston Astros (1980–1988), and the Texas Rangers (1989–1993).

Did Nolan Ryan win a Cy Young Award?

No. Nolan Ryan did not win the Cy Young Award.

What awards did Nolan Ryan win?

Nolan Ryan was selected to 8 All-Star Games.

What were Nolan Ryan's career stats?

In 807 games, Nolan Ryan went 324-292 with a 3.19 ERA, 5,714 strikeouts, 5,386.0 innings pitched, and 3 saves. At the plate he had 94 hits and 2 home runs.

What was Nolan Ryan's salary?

Nolan Ryan's last recorded salary was $3,757,000, in 1993. His highest recorded salary was $4,200,000, in 1992, and his lowest was $1,000,000, in 1988. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1993.

What position did Nolan Ryan play?

Nolan Ryan played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.

How tall was Nolan Ryan and how much did he weigh?

Nolan Ryan was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 170 pounds.

What was Nolan Ryan's career ERA?

Nolan Ryan finished with a 3.19 career ERA, going 324-292 with 5,714 strikeouts.

How many strikeouts did Nolan Ryan have?

Nolan Ryan recorded 5,714 career strikeouts.

Nolan Ryan

Pitcher · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1966-1993)

Nolan Ryan was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1966 to 1993 for 4 teams, including the New York Mets, a span of 28 seasons. Across 807 career appearances, he went 324-292 with a 3.19 ERA and 5,714 strikeouts. He also batted .110 with 2 home runs. Nolan Ryan was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 and was a 8-time All-Star. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 111223.1.

W (Wins):: Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
ERA (Earned Run Average):: Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
SO (Strikeouts):: For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):: Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.

Data updated October 15, 2026

⭐ Hall of Fame 1999

W–L 324–292

ERA 3.19

WHIP 1.25

SO 5,714

Pitcher PIV 111223.1

Position: Pitcher
Bats / Throws: R / R
Height / Weight: 6'2" / 170 lb
Born: 1/31/1947 in Refugio, TX, USA
MLB Debut: 1966-09-11
Last Game: 1993-09-22
Hall of Fame: Inducted 1999 (BBWAA)
Awards: 8× All-Star

Full name: Lynn Nolan Ryan

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Career Pitching Statistics

Nolan Ryan — Career Pitching Statistics
W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
324	292	807	773	222	61	3	5386.0	3,923	1,911	321	2,795	5,714	3.19	111223.1

Career ERA 3.19 vs. league average 3.77 across their career seasons — 15.3% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Nolan Ryan Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year	Team	Lg	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1966	NYN	NL	0	1	2	1	0	0	0	3.0	5	5	3	6	15.00	—	0.0
1968	NYN	NL	6	9	21	18	3	0	0	134.0	93	46	75	133	3.09	2.98 (-4%)	-1175.3
1969	NYN	NL	6	3	25	10	2	0	1	89.1	60	35	53	92	3.53	3.61 (+2%)	2078.7
1970	NYN	NL	7	11	27	19	5	2	1	131.2	86	50	97	125	3.42	3.89 (+12%)	-468.8
1971	NYN	NL	10	14	30	26	3	0	0	152.0	125	67	116	137	3.97	3.47 (-14%)	-1708.2
1972	CAL	AL	19	16	39	39	20	9	0	284.0	166	72	157	329	2.28	3.26 (+30%)	5838.7
1973	CAL	AL	21	16	41	39	26	4	1	326.0	238	104	162	383	2.87	3.75 (+23%)	10932.0
1974	CAL	AL	22	16	42	41	26	3	0	332.2	221	107	202	367	2.89	3.63 (+20%)	5769.6
1975	CAL	AL	14	12	28	28	10	5	0	198.0	152	76	132	186	3.45	3.71 (+7%)	220.5
1976	CAL	AL	17	18	39	39	21	7	0	284.1	193	106	183	327	3.36	3.51 (+5%)	4542.7
1977	CAL	AL	19	16	37	37	22	4	0	299.0	198	92	204	341	2.77	4.00 (+31%)	7002.9
1978	CAL	AL	10	13	31	31	14	3	0	234.2	183	97	148	260	3.72	3.69 (-1%)	4445.6
1979	CAL	AL	16	14	34	34	17	5	0	222.2	169	89	114	223	3.60	4.00 (+10%)	4542.9
1980	HOU	NL	11	10	35	35	4	2	0	233.2	205	87	98	200	3.35	3.84 (+13%)	5805.5
1981	HOU	NL	11	5	21	21	5	3	0	149.0	99	28	68	140	1.69	3.58 (+53%)	4986.0
1982	HOU	NL	16	12	35	35	10	3	0	250.1	196	88	109	245	3.16	3.86 (+18%)	4363.0
1983	HOU	NL	14	9	29	29	5	2	0	196.1	134	65	101	183	2.98	3.87 (+23%)	3989.1
1984	HOU	NL	12	11	30	30	5	2	0	183.2	143	62	69	197	3.04	3.81 (+20%)	5462.0
1985	HOU	NL	10	12	35	35	4	0	0	232.0	205	98	95	209	3.80	3.89 (+2%)	6038.2
1986	HOU	NL	12	8	30	30	1	0	0	178.0	119	66	82	194	3.34	3.97 (+16%)	4194.8
1987	HOU	NL	8	16	34	34	0	0	0	211.2	154	65	87	270	2.76	4.29 (+36%)	10072.6
1988	HOU	NL	12	11	33	33	4	1	0	220.0	186	86	87	228	3.52	3.73 (+6%)	3977.8
1989	TEX	AL	16	10	32	32	6	2	0	239.1	162	85	98	301	3.20	3.71 (+14%)	7522.1
1990	TEX	AL	13	9	30	30	5	2	0	204.0	137	78	74	232	3.44	3.86 (+11%)	5257.0
1991	TEX	AL	12	6	27	27	2	2	0	173.0	102	56	72	203	2.91	3.91 (+26%)	5219.5
1992	TEX	AL	5	9	27	27	2	0	0	157.1	138	65	69	157	3.72	3.75 (+1%)	2720.4
1993	TEX	AL	5	5	13	13	0	0	0	66.1	54	36	40	46	4.88	4.19 (-17%)	-406.2
Career · 27 seasons			324	292	807	773	222	61	3	5,386.0	3,923	1,911	2,795	5,714	3.19	—	111,223

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Career Batting Statistics

Nolan Ryan — Career Batting Statistics
G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
807	852	40	94	10	2	2	36	3	38	371	.110	.148	.134	.282	-6,905

Career AVG .110 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 57.0% below league average.

Career OBP .148 vs. league average .323 across their career seasons — 54.1% below league average.

Career SLG .134 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — 64.9% below league average.

Career OPS .282 vs. league average .704 across their career seasons — 60.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Nolan Ryan Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1966	NYN	NL	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1968	NYN	NL	21	44	2	5	0	0	0	2	0	2	29	.114	—	—	—	—	0.0
1969	NYN	NL	25	29	3	3	0	0	0	2	0	0	14	.103	—	—	—	—	0.0
1970	NYN	NL	27	45	2	8	0	0	0	0	1	0	21	.178	—	—	—	—	0.0
1971	NYN	NL	30	47	4	6	0	1	0	1	0	3	21	.128	—	—	—	—	-351.5
1972	CAL	AL	39	96	4	13	5	1	0	3	1	2	48	.135	.243 (-44%)	.310 (-51%)	.353 (-41%)	.664 (-46%)	-675.9
1973	CAL	AL	41	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1974	CAL	AL	42	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1975	CAL	AL	28	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1976	CAL	AL	39	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1977	CAL	AL	37	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1978	CAL	AL	31	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1979	CAL	AL	34	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1980	HOU	NL	35	70	5	6	0	0	1	6	0	7	29	.086	.264 (-68%)	.326 (-49%)	.387 (-67%)	.714 (-59%)	-655.2
1981	HOU	NL	21	51	3	11	1	0	0	1	0	5	18	.216	.255 (-16%)	.320 (-11%)	.368 (-36%)	.688 (-24%)	-174.8
1982	HOU	NL	35	83	5	10	0	0	0	3	0	5	37	.120	.261 (-54%)	.324 (-47%)	.388 (-69%)	.712 (-59%)	-762.1
1983	HOU	NL	29	69	3	5	0	0	0	2	0	2	29	.072	.260 (-72%)	.324 (-70%)	.389 (-81%)	.714 (-76%)	-822.3
1984	HOU	NL	30	61	3	6	2	0	0	1	1	2	26	.098	.259 (-62%)	.322 (-61%)	.384 (-66%)	.707 (-64%)	-608.7
1985	HOU	NL	35	63	2	7	2	0	0	4	0	4	21	.111	.257 (-57%)	.323 (-50%)	.390 (-63%)	.714 (-57%)	-582.5
1986	HOU	NL	30	59	1	6	0	0	0	5	0	1	22	.102	.257 (-61%)	.325 (-64%)	.395 (-74%)	.720 (-70%)	-649.7
1987	HOU	NL	34	65	2	4	0	0	1	4	0	1	22	.062	.262 (-77%)	.331 (-77%)	.415 (-74%)	.746 (-75%)	-805.0
1988	HOU	NL	33	70	1	4	0	0	0	2	0	4	34	.057	.254 (-78%)	.317 (-66%)	.377 (-85%)	.695 (-76%)	-816.6
1989	TEX	AL	32	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1990	TEX	AL	30	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1991	TEX	AL	27	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1992	TEX	AL	27	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1993	TEX	AL	13	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
Career · 27 seasons			807	852	40	94	10	2	2	36	3	38	371	.110	—	—	—	—	-6,905

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

Nolan Ryan — Playoff Career Batting
G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
9	16	2	3	0	0	0	0	2	6	.188

Playoff Batting by Year

Nolan Ryan — Playoff Batting by Year
Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	BB	SO	AVG
1986	NLCS	HOU	2	4	0	0	0	2	.000
1981	NWDIV	HOU	2	4	0	1	1	1	.250
1980	NLCS	HOU	2	4	1	0	1	2	.000
1979	ALCS	CAL	1	0	0	0	0	0	.000
1969	NLCS	NYN	1	4	1	2	0	1	.500
1969	WS	NYN	1	0	0	0	0	0	.000

Playoff Career Pitching

Nolan Ryan — Playoff Career Pitching
W	L	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
2	2	9	7	1	58.2	39	20	14	63	3.07

Playoff Pitching by Year

Nolan Ryan — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year	Round	Team	W	L	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
1986	NLCS	HOU	0	1	2	2	0	14.0	9	6	1	17	3.86
1981	NWDIV	HOU	1	1	2	2	0	15.0	6	3	3	14	1.80
1980	NLCS	HOU	0	0	2	2	0	13.1	16	8	3	14	5.40
1979	ALCS	CAL	0	0	1	1	0	7.0	4	1	3	8	1.29
1969	NLCS	NYN	1	0	1	0	0	7.0	3	2	2	7	2.57
1969	WS	NYN	0	0	1	0	1	2.1	1	0	2	3	0.00

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (1614 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Nolan Ryan — Batting — Home / Away
Split	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	AVG
Home	425	415	20	44	1	18	.106
Away	382	437	20	50	1	18	.114

Pitching — Home / Away

Nolan Ryan — Pitching — Home / Away
Split	G	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA
Home	425	2997.0	2013	921	1455	3270	2.77
Away	382	2389.0	1910	990	1340	2444	3.73

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Nolan Ryan — Last 10 Games — Pitching
Date	Tm	Opp	Dec	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR
1993-09-22	TEX	SEA	L	0.0	2	5	5	4	0	1
1993-09-17	TEX	LAA	—	7.0	4	1	0	0	5	0
1993-09-12	TEX	MIN	L	5.2	4	4	4	5	3	1
1993-08-21	TEX	BAL	—	3.0	1	4	4	4	1	1
1993-08-15	TEX	CLE	W	7.0	2	1	1	2	2	0
1993-08-10	TEX	LAA	W	6.0	5	3	2	3	3	0
1993-08-04	TEX	CHW	W	7.0	3	2	1	2	5	0
1993-07-30	TEX	OAK	L	6.0	5	4	4	6	6	0
1993-07-25	TEX	TOR	—	5.0	6	6	6	5	5	2
1993-07-19	TEX	MIL	W	5.2	3	2	2	1	6	0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Nolan Ryan — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
P	807	773	220	547	90	27

Season-by-Season Fielding

Nolan Ryan — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1966	NYN	P	2	1	1	0	0	0
1968	NYN	P	21	18	5	11	4	0
1969	NYN	P	25	10	0	4	1	0
1970	NYN	P	27	19	11	10	4	2
1971	NYN	P	30	26	5	15	3	2
1972	CAL	P	39	39	7	28	6	2
1973	CAL	P	41	39	11	28	2	1
1974	CAL	P	42	41	12	48	6	1
1975	CAL	P	28	28	12	18	7	3
1976	CAL	P	39	39	14	34	7	1
1977	CAL	P	37	37	20	35	8	1
1978	CAL	P	31	31	13	33	8	3
1979	CAL	P	34	34	8	29	4	1
1980	HOU	P	35	35	13	27	5	0
1981	HOU	P	21	21	5	16	1	3
1982	HOU	P	35	35	9	33	2	1
1983	HOU	P	29	29	4	28	2	0
1984	HOU	P	30	30	7	11	2	0
1985	HOU	P	35	35	6	20	2	0
1986	HOU	P	30	30	10	17	2	2
1987	HOU	P	34	34	11	18	1	1
1988	HOU	P	33	33	8	18	4	0
1989	TEX	P	32	32	11	19	3	0
1990	TEX	P	30	30	7	13	0	1
1991	TEX	P	27	27	7	14	0	1
1992	TEX	P	27	27	2	16	3	1
1993	TEX	P	13	13	1	4	3	0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Nolan Ryan Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position	Games
Pitcher	807

Awards & Honors

Nolan Ryan — Awards & Honors
Year	Award	Notes
1991	Player of the Week	Week of 1991-05-04
1990	Player of the Week	Week of 1990-06-16
1990	Player of the Week	Week of 1990-08-04
1984	Pitcher of the Month	May
1984	Player of the Week	Week of 1984-05-25
1983	Player of the Week	Week of 1983-04-29
1982	Pitcher of the Month	August
1981	Player of the Week	Week of 1981-09-25
1979	Player of the Week	Week of 1979-07-13
1979	Player of the Week	Week of 1979-04-20
1977	TSN All-Star	RHP
1977	TSN Pitcher of the Year
1976	Player of the Month	September
1975	Player of the Week	Week of 1975-04-11
1975	Player of the Week	Week of 1975-05-30
1975	Player of the Week	Week of 1975-05-16
1974	Player of the Month	August
1974	Player of the Week	Week of 1974-08-16
1974	Player of the Week	Week of 1974-09-27

Salary History

Nolan Ryan's recorded salaries total $19,157,000 over 9 seasons, 1985 to 1993. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Ryan's career ran from 1966 to 1993. His seasons before 1985 are not included.

Nolan Ryan — Salary History
Year	Team	League	Salary
1993	TEX	AL	$3,757,000
1992	TEX	AL	$4,200,000
1991	TEX	AL	$3,300,000
1990	TEX	AL	$1,400,000
1989	TEX	AL	$1,800,000
1988	HOU	NL	$1,000,000
1987	HOU	NL	$1,225,000
1986	HOU	NL	$1,125,000
1985	HOU	NL	$1,350,000
Total recorded salary (partial)			$19,157,000

Award Voting History

Nolan Ryan — Award Voting History
Year	Award	League	Finish	Points Won	Points Max	Votes First
1990	Most Valuable Player	AL	25th	1.0	392	0
1989	Cy Young Award	AL	5th	5.0	140	0
1989	Most Valuable Player	AL	23th	2.0	392	0
1987	Cy Young Award	NL	5th	12.0	120	0
1983	Cy Young Award	NL	9th	1.0	120	0
1981	Cy Young Award	NL	4th	28.0	120	3
1981	Most Valuable Player	NL	16th	23.0	336	0
1977	Cy Young Award	AL	3rd	46.0	140	6
1977	Most Valuable Player	AL	24th	3.0	392	0
1974	Cy Young Award	AL	3rd	28.0	120	1
1974	Most Valuable Player	AL	14th	24.0	336	0
1973	Cy Young Award	AL	2nd	62.0	120	9
1973	Most Valuable Player	AL	17th	20.0	336	0
1972	Cy Young Award	AL	8th	2.0	120	0
1972	Most Valuable Player	AL	30th	2.0	336	0

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Nolan Ryan (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

Compare Nolan Ryan

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See Nolan Ryan in Another Era

Translate Nolan Ryan's peak season across eras →

Nolan Ryan: the record in brief

Between the debut on September 11, 1966 and the final game on September 22, 1993, Nolan Ryan built the record summarized on this page. By club, Ryan's seasons break down as the New York Mets (1966 to 1971), the California Angels (1972 through 1979), the Houston Astros (1980 to 1988), and the Texas Rangers (1989 to 1993). Ryan is listed as a pitcher at 170 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame. The bio says Ryan both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is January 31, 1947, in Refugio, TX, USA. Ryan's full given name, per the bio, is Lynn Nolan Ryan.

Ryan pitched in 807 games, starting 773, and finished with a 324-292 record and 3.19 ERA. Ryan had 5,714 strikeouts, 222 complete games, and 61 shutouts. That 3.19 ERA compares with a 3.77 league average across the same seasons, 15.3% better. 1974 brought Ryan a season-high 22 wins. 1973 produced Ryan's most strikeouts, 383. 1972 was Ryan's sharpest full season, a 2.28 ERA against the league's 3.26.

Frequently Asked Questions about Nolan Ryan

What years did Nolan Ryan play?: Nolan Ryan played in Major League Baseball from 1966 to 1993.
Was Nolan Ryan a pitcher?: Yes. Nolan Ryan pitched in the major leagues, recording 324 wins and 5714 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Nolan Ryan hit?: Nolan Ryan hit 2 career home runs with 94 hits.
Is Nolan Ryan in the Hall of Fame?: Yes. Nolan Ryan was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.
What teams did Nolan Ryan play for?: Nolan Ryan played for 4 teams: the New York Mets (1966, 1968–1971), the California Angels (1972–1979), the Houston Astros (1980–1988), and the Texas Rangers (1989–1993).
Did Nolan Ryan win a Cy Young Award?: No. Nolan Ryan did not win the Cy Young Award.
What awards did Nolan Ryan win?: Nolan Ryan was selected to 8 All-Star Games.
What were Nolan Ryan's career stats?: In 807 games, Nolan Ryan went 324-292 with a 3.19 ERA, 5,714 strikeouts, 5,386.0 innings pitched, and 3 saves. At the plate he had 94 hits and 2 home runs.
How much did Nolan Ryan earn in his career?: Nolan Ryan's recorded salaries total $19,157,000 over 9 seasons, 1985 to 1993. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Ryan's career ran from 1966 to 1993. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
What was Nolan Ryan's salary?: Nolan Ryan's last recorded salary was $3,757,000, in 1993. His highest recorded salary was $4,200,000, in 1992, and his lowest was $1,000,000, in 1988. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1993.
What position did Nolan Ryan play?: Nolan Ryan played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Nolan Ryan and how much did he weigh?: Nolan Ryan was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 170 pounds.
What was Nolan Ryan's career ERA?: Nolan Ryan finished with a 3.19 career ERA, going 324-292 with 5,714 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Nolan Ryan have?: Nolan Ryan recorded 5,714 career strikeouts.