- Dawson Casting: Robert Redford was 48 at the time the movie was made. Roy Hobbs is supposed to be about 35, to say nothing of the flashback scenes that take place sixteen years earlier. While it was easy to buy Redford as a world weathered 35 year old who lived a rough life, it was ludicrous to believe him as a wide-eyed 19 year old boy. Same goes for Glenn Close, who was 37 and playing a teenager at one point; her very first scene makes it look like Roy woke up someone's grandmother rather than his childhood sweetheart.
- Descended Creator: Barry Levinson stated on the DVD extras for the 2007 edition that because there had been too little time during post-production to find a professional announcer willing and able to provide voice-over services, Levinson recorded that part of the audio track himself.
- Follow the Leader: Major League is essentially a comedic version of the game, where "the natural" is a pitcher and the final game is won by trickery instead of a homerun.
- Life Imitates Art: In the movie, an ailing Roy Hobbs hits a dramatic and unlikely home run to send the New York Knights to the World Series. Four years later, an ailing Kirk Gibson would hit a dramatic and unlikely home run to win Game 1 of the 1988 World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers (a World Series the underdog Dodgers went on to win in 5 games). Seeing the parallels between the climactic scene and the ending to the game, Dodger bullpen coach Mark Creese put a piece of tape reading "Roy Hobbs" over Gibson's locker after the game, while NBC's pregame video for Game 2 narrated by Bob Costas included both Roy's and Gibson's home runs. Like Roy, Gibson...
- Was a star left-handed hitter battling injury
- Was batting with two out in the bottom of the 9th inning while representing the winning run, and later also down to his and the team's last strike
- Was facing a star pitcher (in Gibson's case, legendary Oakland Athletics closer Dennis Eckersley)
- Hit a walk-off home run to right field.
Bob Costas: "And now the stage was set for a replay of the final act of The Natural, only this time, the role of Roy Hobbs would be played by Kirk Gibson, not Robert Redford."
— The NBC opening to Game 2 of the 1988 World Series
— The NBC opening to Game 2 of the 1988 World Series
- Referenced by...: A 1993 Peanuts storyline features Charlie Brown playing baseball against a girl named Royanne who claims to be the great-granddaughter of Roy Hobbs. She doesn't take it well when Charlie Brown informs her that Hobbs is a fictional character.
- Uncredited Role: Darren McGavin was cast late in the process as gambler Gus Sands and was uncredited in the film. Due to a disagreement, he chose not to be credited, though later Barry Levinson wanted to credit him and McGavin said no.
