1975 Topps #312 1974 Strikeout Leaders
Part of the 1974 League Leaders subset (#306-313).
About this card
Cards #306-313 are the 1974 League Leaders subset, pairing the American and National League leaders in eight statistical categories.
About the players on this card
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. signed out of Alvin, Texas, as a 12th-round pick of the New York Mets in the 1965 draft and broke in with New York in 1966, returning for good in 1968. He won a championship ring in relief for the 1969 'Miracle Mets,' but his legend took shape after the Angels landed him in a 1971 trade for Jim Fregosi — one of the most lopsided deals in the game's history. Over 27 seasons with the Mets, Angels, Astros, and Rangers, the right-hander became 'the Ryan Express,' a name a New York sportswriter hung on him after the 1965 film Von Ryan's Express, later shortened once it stuck. He retired with a record 5,714 strikeouts, seven no-hitters, and eight All-Star nods, entering Cooperstown in 1999 on 98.8% of the vote. His 1975 Topps #5 Highlights card marks the third of those no-hitters, thrown on the final day of the 1974 season to pull him within one of Sandy Koufax's career mark; he also appears among the 1974 AL strikeout leaders on #312, and his #500 base card sits at a hero number that thousands have submitted for grading without a single PSA 10 ever awarded.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton signed with the St. Louis Cardinals out of Miami-Dade College in 1963 and reached the majors in 1965, developing into a hard-throwing left-hander built around a devastating slider. With the Cardinals he helped St. Louis win the 1967 World Series and return in 1968. Traded to the Phillies in February 1972 for Rick Wise — a deal now regarded as one of the most lopsided in baseball history — Carlton produced one of pitching's greatest individual seasons that year, winning 27 games for a Phillies club that finished only 59-97, and leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts to capture his first Cy Young Award. He won three more Cy Youngs (1977, 1980, 1982), becoming the first pitcher with four, and in 1980 anchored Philadelphia's first World Series championship, working seven strong innings in the clincher. A ten-time All-Star known throughout the game as "Lefty" for his left-handed delivery, Carlton finished with 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994 on the first ballot with 95.6% of the vote. This set carries his base card (#185) and a League Leaders card (#312) marking his 1974 NL strikeout title.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 2,309 | 12 | 231 | 1,005 | 514 | 273 | 136 | 136 | 2 |
| SGC | 319 | 0 | 8 | 74 | 70 | 67 | 54 | 41 | 5 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-08-19. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8), and PSA's qualified grades are counted separately from the straight-grade rows shown here. The graders do not split the 1975 Topps Mini or O-Pee-Chee issues into this set.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Find on eBay
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #236 California Angels
More California Angels cards:
- #5 Nolan Ryan
- #16 Frank Tanana
- #40 Bill Singer
- #64 Dave Chalk
- #88 Tom Egan
- #114 Dick Lange
- #139 Horacio Pina
- #164 Mickey Rivers
- #187 Denny Doyle
- #215 Bobby Valentine
- #261 Andy Hassler
- #285 Ellie Rodriguez
- #317 Joe Lahoud
- #342 Leroy Stanton
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1975 Topps #312 card?
It is card #312 of the 660-card 1975 Topps Baseball set, picturing Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton. Cards #306-313 are the 1974 League Leaders subset, pairing the American and National League leaders in eight statistical categories.
How many cards are in the 1975 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, numbered 1-660, with no variations and no short prints - PSA reports the cards were printed in equal quantities. The 1975 Topps Mini and the 1975 O-Pee-Chee issues are separate products with their own checklists.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Cardboard Connection, the PSA price guide, 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 2026-08-20.