Stanley had one of his best all-around seasons in 1973. He appeared in a career-high 157 games, including 151 games as the team's starting center fielder. He compiled a .993 fielding percentage, a 2.74 range factor (well above the league average of 2.02), and won his fourth Gold Glove Award. He hit a career-high 17 home runs during the 1973 season. After being struck out by Nolan Ryan in a 1973 no-hit, Stanley told reporters: "Those were the best pitches I ever heard."