Ryan pitched for a ridiculous 27 seasons. He faced over 22,000 batters. But he only gave up 321 home runs.
That’s fewer than many modern pitchers do in half the time. It’s a weird stat. He struck out nearly 5,714 batters but let just 321 go yard.
Do the math: that’s one homer for every 17 strikeouts. The league average? About one per six. Ryan was a homer-resistant freak of nature.
The “Unhittable” That Got Hit
Ryan’s fastball was legendary. It could hit 100 mph with nasty movement. But when batters did connect, they often made history.
Take Reggie Jackson. Mr. October hit a massive bomb off Ryan in 1986. Jackson later joked, “I closed my eyes and swung.” It still went 450 feet.
Or Mike Schmidt. He cranked number 500 off Ryan in 1987. The crowd cheered for minutes. Ryan just tipped his cap. No fuss.
