1972 Topps #595 Nolan Ryan
About Nolan Ryan
Fifth-series #595 lists Ryan with the California Angels. With his military obligation fulfilled, he was a regular starter for the first time in 1972, making 39 starts and going 19-16 with a 2.28 ERA. He struck out 329, completed 20 games with 9 shutouts and made his first All-Star team. On July 9 he struck out three Red Sox on nine pitches in a 3-0 win, the first pitcher to do it in both leagues.
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 | 7,905 | 9 | 197 | 1,391 | 1,642 | 1,685 | 1,192 | 1,784 | 5 |
| SGC | 2,472 | 1 | 11 | 142 | 414 | 597 | 568 | 712 | 27 |
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.
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Related cards
Team card: #71 California Angels
More California Angels cards:
- #19 Billy Cowan
- #55 Clyde Wright
- #102 Lloyd Allen
- #115 Jim Fregosi
- #135 Vada Pinson
- #160 Andy Messersmith
- #196 Mel Queen
- #213 Angels 1972 Rookie Stars
- #253 Sandy Alomar
- #272 Mickey Rivers
- #289 Syd O'Brien
- #354 Tom Murphy
- #379 Ken Berry
- #404 Jeff Torborg
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1972 Topps #595 card?
It is card #595 of the 787-card 1972 Topps Baseball set, picturing Nolan Ryan of the California Angels.
Is #595 the Nolan Ryan card?
Yes. #595 is Nolan Ryan. At least one dealer key-card list gives other numbers for #49 Willie Mays, #309 Roberto Clemente, #441 Thurman Munson and #595 Nolan Ryan, but these are the numbers printed on the cards.
What are the key cards in the 1972 Topps set?
The key cards are #309 Roberto Clemente; the #582 Montreal Expos team card, which PSA's set article calls the hardest card in the set to find in high grade; #79 Red Sox 1972 Rookie Stars, with Carlton Fisk's rookie card - the only Hall of Famer rookie card in the set - beside Mike Garman and Cecil Cooper; #595 Nolan Ryan, the most coveted of its Hall of Famers in PSA's words; and #686 Steve Garvey, which PSA CardFacts names among the hard-to-find high numbers.
How many cards are in the 1972 Topps Baseball set?
787 cards, tracked as 794 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 787 with none skipped, in six print series (#1-132, #133-263, #264-394, #395-525, #526-656 and #657-787, the high numbers); 7 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - four Chicago Cubs cards with yellow or green under the "C" and "S" of the team name, the #251 and #478 checklists with smaller or larger print on the front, and the #604 checklist with its copyright line aligned right or left.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, 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.