1979 Topps #417 All-Time Record Holders: Strikeouts - Nolan Ryan / Walter Johnson
On this card: Nolan Ryan, Walter Johnson
About this card
Cards #411-418 are the All-Time Record Holders subset, honoring season and career record holders: hits (George Sisler and Ty Cobb), RBI (Hack Wilson and Hank Aaron), home runs (Roger Maris and Hank Aaron), batting average (Rogers Hornsby and Ty Cobb), stolen bases (Lou Brock alone), wins (Jack Chesbro and Cy Young), strikeouts (Nolan Ryan and Walter Johnson) and ERA (Dutch Leonard and Walter Johnson). Four of them are listed here under a club of the record's era rather than a 1979 team: the St. Louis Browns for George Sisler (#411), the New York Highlanders and Cleveland Spiders for Jack Chesbro and Cy Young (#416), and the Washington Senators for Walter Johnson (#417 and #418).
The story on this card
Nolan Ryan went 16-14 with a 3.60 ERA and 223 strikeouts for the 1979 California Angels and made the All-Star team. He started Game 1 of the ALCS against Baltimore, throwing seven innings, and on November 19 he signed with Houston. Card #417 in that year's Topps set carries him with the Angels beside Walter Johnson, printed with the Washington Senators, under the strikeouts heading in the all-time run of #411-418. Ryan's 383 strikeouts in 1973 broke Sandy Koufax's season mark by one, and he reached Johnson's career total of 3,509 on April 27, 1983, against Brad Mills of the Expos.
Nolan Ryan was the flame-throwing "Ryan Express," a Mets farmhand who became baseball's all-time strikeout king, setting career records for strikeouts (5,714) and no-hitters (seven) over 27 seasons with the Mets, Angels, Astros and Rangers. Walter Johnson - Washington Senators right-hander from 1907 to 1927 who won 417 games with a 2.17 ERA and threw 110 shutouts. Called the Big Train for his fastball, he struck out 3,509, won two MVP awards and went into the Hall of Fame in 1936.
Sources: Wikipedia (Nolan Ryan) · Wikipedia (Walter Johnson) · SABR BioProject (Nolan Ryan) · SABR BioProject (Walter Johnson) · Baseball-Reference (Nolan Ryan) · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 2,548 | 139 | 932 | 931 | 214 | 105 | 150 | 77 | 0 |
| SGC | 208 | 2 | 28 | 74 | 50 | 23 | 16 | 15 | 0 |
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: #424 California Angels / Jim Fregosi
More California Angels cards:
- #6 1978 Strikeout Leaders
- #18 Tony Solaita
- #48 Merv Rettenmund
- #71 Brian Downing
- #115 Nolan Ryan
- #212 Carney Lansford
More Washington Senators cards:
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #417 card?
It is card #417 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Nolan Ryan and Walter Johnson. Cards #411-418 are the All-Time Record Holders subset, honoring season and career record holders: hits (George Sisler and Ty Cobb), RBI (Hack Wilson and Hank Aaron), home runs (Roger Maris and Hank Aaron), batting average (Rogers Hornsby and Ty Cobb), stolen bases (Lou Brock alone), wins (Jack Chesbro and Cy Young), strikeouts (Nolan Ryan and Walter Johnson) and ERA (Dutch Leonard and Walter Johnson). Four of them are listed here under a club of the record's era rather than a 1979 team: the St. Louis Browns for George Sisler (#411), the New York Highlanders and Cleveland Spiders for Jack Chesbro and Cy Young (#416), and the Washington Senators for Walter Johnson (#417 and #418).
How many cards are in the 1979 Topps Baseball set?
726 cards, numbered 1 through 726 with none skipped and issued as a single series, tracked as 727 collectible states: #369 Bump Wills comes with a Rangers or a Blue Jays team banner, and the master set counts both.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA, 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.