Let’s play a game: “How many wins would Nolan Ryan have if he played for a decent team?” In 1973, Ryan went 21-16 with a 2.87 ERA and struck out 383 batters. His team, the Angels, finished 79-83. In 1987, he went 8-16 with a 2.76 ERA for the Astros—the lowest ERA in the league that year. He lost 16 games with the best ERA in baseball. That’s like getting straight A’s in school and being told you’re still grounded.
strikeout | baseball | Britannica
Even his seven no-hitters were oddly timed. In 1991, at age 44, he no-hit the Blue Jays—then lost his next start. He no-hit the A’s in 1990, then went 2-4 in September. The guy was so dominant that he could erase a team for nine innings, then lose to the same team the next week. He’s the only pitcher in history who made hitters look foolish and then let them win two days later just to keep things interesting.
