Nolan Ryan is considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time and his baseball cards are highly sought after by collectors. With over two decades playing in Major League Baseball spanning from 1966 to 1993, Ryan compiled numerous pitching records that still stand today. Let’s take a look at the top 10 most valuable and iconic Nolan Ryan baseball cards:

1984 Topps Traded #115T – Ryan’s transition to the Houston Astros is commemorated in this card from his first season with the team after years with the California Angels. In 1984 with Houston, the 37-year old Ryan continued pitching effectively with an 11-8 record and 2.75 ERA. The ’84 Topps Traded set is less common than the base issue, making this card a moderately valuable piece in any Nolan Ryan collection. Lightly graded examples typically sell for around $50-75.

1990 Leaf #51 – Leaf produced colorful and high quality cards in the early 90s and this card captures Ryan in his trademark intimidating windup for the Texas Rangers at age 43. The 1990 Leaf set had a small printing and the brand never achieved the same mainstream popularity as Topps or Fleer. This makes 1990 Leaf cards like Ryan’s generally harder to find in nice condition. Look for $75-100 range in NM-MT condition.

1988 Fleer Update #U-3 – Update sets from the late 80’s provided a midseason update to the base issues. The ’88 Fleer Update set had much lower print runs and is one of the scarcer Nolan Ryan card issues from that decade. At age 41, Ryan was still a workhorse pitching over 200 innings while racking up 270 strikeouts for the Astros. Finding a gem mint copy of this card is difficult but could pull $100-150.

1980 Topps #130 – This iconic image from Ryan’s Cy Young award winning 1980 season as a member of the Angels is one of the more aesthetically pleasing vintage cards in his collection. The hair flowing out of his cap as he went into his delivery made for a dynamic photo. High grade copies of this are scarce but exemplify the sheer dominance Ryan exhibited during that memorable season. Near mint copies sell in the $150-200 range.

1991 Topps #182 – Ryan’s first season with the Rangers after leaving Houston saw the legend notch his 5,000th career strikeout. This landmark achievement is commemorated on the ‘91 Topps card. Some consider this one of the best suited cards to capture Ryan’s imposing stature on the mound even as he entered his mid 40s. Well-centered, near-mint copies often sell above $200.

1968 Topps #500 – Ryan’s rookie card features a clean image from his second season in 1968 after debuting late with the Mets the prior year. The 1968 Topps set in general is highly sought after by collectors. Mint condition copies are exceedingly rare but even well-centered examples in EX-MT fetch $300-500 depending on the strength of the market. This was truly the starting point for one of the games all-time great careers.

1973 Topps #130 – Ryan was dealt from the Angels to the Rangers in late 1971 and this 1973 issue marked his first full season in Texas. He won 19 games while leading the league with 329 strikeouts and a modern record 2.87 ERA. Strong demand exists for this card showing Ryan at the top of his game in the prime of his career with the Rangers. Near-mint grades sell around $500-650 range.

1971 Topps #588 – Ryan’s lone season with the Los Angeles Dodgers resulted in this memorable ‘71 Topps card. With a record-setting 383 strikeouts and a league best 1.66 ERA, Ryan announced his dominance at age 24. The photo captures the compact and intimidating delivery that made him so difficult to hit. High grades above EX-MT are exceptional and can bring over $700 due to rarity.

1975 Topps #132 – Topps did well to select an action pose highlighting Ryan’s blazing fastball for his ‘75 issue. The photo encapsulates all the ferocity he brought to the mound on a nightly basis. Highly aesthetic yet still fairly available at a lower mintage than early 1970s issues, a BVG 9.0 example sold for $925 in recent years. Even in EX condition, over $500 can be expected.

1974 Topps #193 – Perched at the very top is Ryan’s 1974 Topps card, perhaps the most iconic of his entire career-long run in the majors. He dominated in ’74 with 20 wins and a modern MLB record of 383 strikeouts. Topps perfectly captured this dominance with an absolutely breathtaking image of his dangerous delivery. A PSA 9 copy achieved $2,300 back in early 2020. Raw copies in EX-MT+ grade easily fetch over $1,000. Simply put, no Nolan Ryan collection is complete without this defining card.

Any of Nolan Ryan’s early 1970s high grade rookie and early career issues certainly hold great value, but the premier cards remain his record-breaking ‘74 Topps and ‘71 Topps rookie season issues. Condition matters tremendously for Nolan Ryan cards as there truly is no replacement for an exceptionally well-preserved vintage card from one of the game’s most intimidating and acclaimed pitchers of all-time. Collectors are constantly on the hunt for quality copies of his legendary playing career captured in cardboard.