Would You Rather? 1968 Nolan Ryan vs. 1955 Sandy Koufax Rookie Cards
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Longevity or peak? It’s the oldest argument in pitching, and Nolan Ryan and Sandy Koufax sit at opposite ends of the spectrum. Ryan threw heat into his mid-40s and racked up counting stats that look like typos. Koufax walked away at 30 with five of the most dominant seasons anyone’s ever strung together. Their rookie cards let collectors plant a flag in that debate, and per Card Ladder sale results, both can be had for roughly $2,200 in respectable grades.
1968 Topps Nolan Ryan #177
Ryan’s rookie is one of the hobby’s iconic dual-player cards, sharing space with fellow Mets hurler Jerry Koosman—himself a two-time All-Star and 222-game winner who helped anchor the ‘69 Miracle Mets rotation. But there’s no confusion about who the main attraction is.
The Express would go on to pitch for 27 seasons across four MLB teams, compiling numbers that may never be touched: 5,714 strikeouts, seven no-hitters, and 324 wins. He entered Cooperstown in 1999 with 98.79% of the vote, the second-highest BBWAA percentage in history at the time.
The card itself is notoriously difficult to land in high grades. Centering issues plague the 1968 Topps set, and Ryan’s horizontal layout compounds the problem. PSA 10s are essentially mythical—with a population of 1 out of roughly 18,400 graded examples. PSA 9s can command six figures.
For collectors looking at this matchup, PSA 6 is the sweet spot, with recent sales landing between $2,100 and $2,350. You’re getting a presentable example of a cornerstone card without mortgaging the house.
1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123
Koufax’s rookie captures the young Dodger before anyone knew what he would become. The Brooklyn native was mediocre for the first half of his career before something clicked in a big way. From 1962-66, Koufax was untouchable: five consecutive ERA titles, three Cy Young Awards, four no-hitters, including a perfect game, and two World Series MVP performances.
He retired at 30 due to severe arthritis in his pitching elbow, walking away at his peak—and waltzed straight into Cooperstown in 1972 at age 36, the youngest player ever inducted.
The 1955 Topps set carries vintage premiums across the board, and Koufax’s card suffers from the era’s typical centering and print quality issues. A PSA 5 currently runs $2,200–$2,650, putting it squarely in line with Ryan’s PSA 6. Higher grades exist but command significant jumps—PSA 6s have recently sold in the $3,300–$3,900 range.
Strikeout King vs. Southpaw Star
This comes down to collecting philosophy. Ryan represents volume: the iron arm that never broke, still blowing it by batters when most contemporaries were long retired. Koufax represents apex performance: the pitcher who, at his best, was arguably more dominant than anyone before or since.
That said, there’s something poetic about Koufax’s card. You’re buying potential that was fully realized but cut short. The 1955 rookie shows a kid who hadn’t figured it out yet; you know the story that follows, the transformation, the early exit. Ryan’s card promises decades of tantalizing footage, while Sandy’s promises excellence for a handful of seasons.
For pure investment, Ryan’s broader name recognition and the card’s status alongside Johnny Bench as the ‘68 set’s key rookies may give it an edge. For storytelling and vintage appeal, Koufax could be the winner.
Which old school arm gets your vote and your money?
Scott Orgera is a sportswriter and statistician with more than three decades of experience. He has covered thousands of MLB and NFL games, along with most other major sports. A member of the BBWAA, his bylines appear in the Associated Press, Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, and Forbes, among others. He also co‑authored 976‑1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground. Having worked card shows with his family in the 1980s, Scott has remained active in the hobby ever since and now owns a card and memorabilia shop just outside New York City.