1971 Topps #513 Nolan Ryan


About Nolan Ryan
The 1971 season gave Ryan the first of 16 straight years with at least 10 wins. He finished 10-14 with a 3.97 ERA. Over 152 innings he walked 116 batters and struck out 137. His ERA rose from 2.24 in the first half to 7.74 in the second, the steepest second-half climb for a starter in major league history as of 2021. Fourth-series #513 pictures him as a Met. He left New York with a 29-38 record over 105 games.
Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr., born January 31, 1947, in Refugio, Texas, and raised in Alvin, near Houston, was drafted by the Mets in the 12th round in 1965. He pitched a record 27 major league seasons (1966, 1968-1993) for the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. He retired with a 324-292 record, a 3.19 ERA and 5,714 strikeouts, the most in major league history. He also holds the career records for walks (2,795) and no-hitters (seven, three more than any other pitcher). He struck out 300 batters in a season a record six times and made eight All-Star teams. Nicknamed "the Ryan Express" and known for a fastball clocked above 100 mph, he helped the 1969 Mets win the World Series before a December 1971 trade sent him to California for Jim Fregosi. He signed with Houston as a free agent before the 1980 season, then finished with Texas, where he threw his sixth and seventh no-hitters at ages 43 and 44. Ryan was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 in his first year of eligibility with 98.8 percent of the vote, and is one of three players to have his number retired by at least three teams.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 7,736 | 0 | 31 | 625 | 1,419 | 1,708 | 1,467 | 2,376 | 110 |
| SGC | 3,967 | 0 | 6 | 83 | 313 | 634 | 956 | 1,476 | 499 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1971 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #641 New York Mets
More New York Mets cards:
- #16 Ken Singleton
- #36 Dean Chance
- #68 1970 National League ERA Leaders
- #72 1970 National League Strikeout Leaders
- #83 Mets 1971 Rookie Stars
- #104 Dan Frisella
- #115 Donn Clendenon
- #136 Duffy Dyer
- #160 Tom Seaver
- #183 Gil Hodges
- #228 Wayne Garrett
- #259 Dave Marshall
- #278 Jerry Grote
- #310 Tommie Agee
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #513 card?
It is card #513 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Nolan Ryan of the New York Mets.
How many cards are in the 1971 Topps Baseball set?
752 cards, tracked as 761 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 752 with none skipped, issued in six print series (132/131/130/130/120/109 cards), the sixth (#644-752) the high numbers; seven cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - the #42, #265 and #306 photo pairs and the #123, #206, #369 and #619 checklists, #369 and #619 in three printings each.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA (its price guide, master set registry and set article), BaseballCardPedia, Cardboard Connection, Baseball Almanac, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-25.