Nolan Ryan is considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time and one of the most collectible players when it comes to baseball cards. Ryan played from 1966-1993 across four different decades for a total of 27 seasons, allowing his image and statistics to appear on baseball cards released during much of the sport’s modern era. Here is an extensive list of all known Nolan Ryan baseball cards from the 1960s through the early 1990s when he retired, including details on each issue and variations that collectors look for.
1966 Topps #312 – Ryan’s rookie card, considered one of the more iconic and valuable cards in the hobby. It captures his early years with the New York Mets. The 1966 set had bubblegum stuck to the back of each card but many were packaged without gum to preserve the condition of the front image. Off-center specimens are most common.
1967 Topps #311 – Ryan’s second year card, still wearing a Mets uniform. Like his rookie, condition issues are frequent with centering being a major flaw seen across examples from this set. Still a key card for any Ryan collection.
1968 Topps #316 – Documents Ryan’s rise with the Mets before being traded to the California Angels after the season. Collectors search for “turned” variations where the front image is misaligned left or right on the cardboard stock. Very scarce in high grade.
1968 Fleer #498 – Ryan’s first appearance in the Fleer set, which featured player photos smaller than Topps cards of the period. Only the second company to produce baseball cards after Topps with rival issues at the time. Not as iconic as his Topps RCs but desirable for completionists.
1969 Topps #342 – Captures Ryan breaking out with the Angels and winning 2 Gold Glove Awards. A pivotal year statistically. Well-centered specimens in this set are uncommon making high quality copies valuable. Some flippers show ring wear along the edges.
1970 Topps #420 – Common low-number card in the 450-card set. Displays Ryan posting the lowest ERA of his career to date at 1.88. The 1970 Topps design is considered unattractive by some but it is an essential Ryan for any collection.
1971 Topps #436 – Highlights Ryan’s first season with 300 strikeouts and his first career no-hitter. The vibrant colors and action photos of ’71 Topps are fan favorites. Finding a properly centered card can be difficult since many were overfilled during printing.
1972 Topps #418 – By now Ryan had fully emerged as one of MLB’s most dominating pitchers. This issue features a closeup of his intense stare. Centering is again an issue since the long, skinny ’72 Topps design was prone to being off-kilter during production.
1973 Topps #400 – Displays Ryan after throwing his second career no-hitter. Considered the best designed Topps set of the 1970s. Examples with sharp corners and strong centering hold premium value for enthusiastatic Nolan Ryan collectors.
1974 Topps #420 – Highlights Nolan’s 300th career strikeout. Despite being plentiful in collections today, high quality specimens still carry value since many ’74s were sloppily cut during manufacturing. Also watch for the “mini” size variation card which is exceedingly rare.
1975 Topps #398 – Shows Ryan’s 19-strikeout performance, the most in a single game at the time. A crucial card to own. As with many 1970s sets, centering is a frequent flaw but otherwise iconic trademarks like the painted blue borders are beloved by collectors.
1976 SSPC #93 – SSPC was a short-lived competitor to Topps in the mid-1970s known for its large player photos and smooth stock. Captures Ryan winning his third Gold Glove. Quite possibly Ryan’s most attractive card visually from this period but condition challenges exist.
1977 Topps #515 – Highlights Ryan’s fifth career no-hitter, tying Sandy Koufax’s all-time record at the time. Another iconic card for any collection. Centering and corners tend to be issues since ’77 Topps had durability problems straight from the pack.
1978 Topps #440 – Signifies Ryan winning his first ERA title with a scintillating 1.69 ERA. Considered one of the greatest pitched pitchers of all time at this point of his career. Surface defects like dings, scratches or stains often hinder higher grades.
1979 Topps #556 – Shows Ryan with the Angels after eight successful seasons. The 1979 design is soft, sharp and vividly-colored, making examples that retain their visual appeal highly valued. As with many high-number cards in long sets, off-centering runs rampant.
1980 Topps #636 – Documents Ryan’s first season with the Houston Astros after being traded. While plentiful, well-centered copies always have collector demand. A key addition to any Ryan or Astros PC. Watch for gum stains or other defects that could lower the grade.
1981 Donruss #91 – Ryan’s first appearance in the short-lived Donruss brand, which featured more colorful renders than the conservative Topps issues of the day. Centering was an endemic problem so choice centered specimens stand out.
1981 Topps #700 – Highlights Ryan’s season with Houston and 5th in strikeouts all-time. Considered the best looking common design of the entire 1981 set. Centering and production cutting problems abound so high quality examples carry value.
1982 Donruss #56 – Captures Ryan with the Astros and 5th on the all-time strikeout list. This early Donruss set had sharp, colorful photography that hides wear well. Still, its thin stock made it prone to damage from pack-to-pocket so pristine copies shine.
1982 Topps #700 – Continues to track Ryan’s ascension up the all-time strikeouts leaderboard. The soft-’82 set is prone to dings/wear so well-preserved copies hold additional demand. Also watch for the rare “Traded” variation, signifying his in-season deal to Philadelphia.
1983 Donruss #95 – Highlights Ryan’s first year with the Phillies after being acquired from Houston. The embossed foil borders keep scratches hidden. Super high-grade specimens command strong premiums for important vintage Ryan collectors.
1983 Topps #700 – Shows Ryan’s season split between the Astros and Phillies after the mid-season trade. The fun vertical ’83 design exhibits wear/damage resistance. High-grade presents always sell for competitive prices.
1984 Donruss #229 – Marks Ryan’s continued success with Philadelphia. The fun 3D-like renderings were prone to print defects, impacting demand for unblemished copies. High-number cards also battled centering inconsistencies
1984 Topps #700 – Signifies Ryan moving past 3000 career strikeouts. The soft, rounded ’84 set design took scuffs and dings well to preserve cards long-term. Strong examples rightly garner attention in the marketplace.
1985 Donruss #149 – Captures Ryan breaking Sandy Koufax’s career record with his fifth no-hitter. One of the most legendary Nolan Ryan cards ever produced with vibrant photography. Unfortunately, many suffered damage due to flimsier stock.
1985 Fleer Update #U-5 – Documents Ryan’s record-setting no-hitter in an Update issues midway through the ’85 season. Popular among players chasing seasonal stats but prone to poor centering and production defects more than the flagship issue.
1985 Topps #700 – Highlights Ryan’s record-setting season. Favors strong surface preservation and centering since wear/flaws jump out against the stark white fronts. Still displays a sense of vintage charm for aficionados.
1986 Fleer #178 – Features Ryan in star-spangled bunting after pitching the United States to a win in an exhibition against the Soviet Union national team. Vivid photography but often found off-center just like contemporary Flagship issues.
1986 Topps #600 – Marks Ryan passing Walter Johnson for second on the all-time strikeout list. Excellent lasting appeal thanks to Topps designers’ use of rounded corners and borders to hide flaws years later. Gem examples are tough but valuable.
1987 Donruss #144 – Highlights Ryan passing Steve Carlton for first on the all-time strikeouts list. Among the most visually stunning Donruss designs ever and made Ryan’s accomplishment pop. Still, production defects nag condition-sensitive collectors.
1987 Topps #600 – Celebrates Ryan, at age 40, taking the all-time lead in career strikeouts. The soft, pastel colors have aged extremely well to maintain eye appeal. Strong centering and surfaces separatecondition-sensitive high-grade collecting.
1988 Donruss #145 – Notes Ryan’s induction into the 2,500 strikeout club. Another gorgeous, photography-forward Donruss issue. Alas, the thin stock didn’t hold up protection-wise long-term in most cases. Super high grades bring big money.
1988 Fleer #300 – Captures Ryan’s dominance well into his 40s. As an often overproduced Fleer issue, off-center strikes abound. Still iconic for any Ryan PC due to milestone marker status within his storied career.
1988 Score #500 – Displays an action shot of the ageless wonder. These thicker, glossier Score cards held up phenomenally
