1966 Topps #17 Johnny Stephenson
About Johnny Stephenson
Back with the Mets in 1966, Stephenson shifted into regular catching duty, appearing behind the plate in 52 of his 63 games and making just one appearance in the outfield, while batting .196 and setting a career high to that point in runs scored (17). The card catches him mid-transition from a utility rookie to New York's primary receiver behind the plate.
John Herman Stephenson, born April 13, 1941 in South Portsmouth, Kentucky, was a left-handed hitting catcher who threw right-handed and stood 5 feet 11 inches. Signed by the Mets organization in May 1963, he reached the majors the following year and spent ten seasons, 1964 through 1973, with the Mets, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and California Angels, appearing in 451 games. His best offensive year came with the Angels in 1971, when he set career highs in games (98), hits (61) and RBI (25), and he followed it with a career-best .274 average in 1972. For his career he batted .216 with 214 hits, 37 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs and 93 RBI, working primarily as a catcher and pinch hitter. He holds a degree from William Carey College in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and after retiring following the 1973 season went on to coach extensively in the minor leagues and college baseball.
Sources: Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 238 | 0 | 32 | 106 | 66 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| SGC | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-09-04. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. Where SGC registers no separate row for a variation state, its slabs of that card are listed under the base state.
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Related cards
Team card: #172 New York Mets
More New York Mets cards:
- #35 Ron Swoboda
- #51 Gordon Richardson
- #67 Mets 1966 Rookie Stars
- #87 Dan Napoleon
- #108 Bobby Klaus
- #124 Tug McGraw
- #154 Chuck Hiller
- #188 Al Luplow
- #191 Darrell Sutherland
- #212 Ed Kranepool
- #241 Dennis Ribant
- #262 Jack Hamilton
- #282 Johnny Lewis
- #302 Ernie Bowman
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1966 Topps #17 card?
It is card #17 of the 598-card 1966 Topps Baseball set, picturing Johnny Stephenson of the New York Mets.
How many cards are in the 1966 Topps Baseball set?
598 cards, tracked as 613 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 598 with no gaps and no number used twice, and 14 cards carry catalogued print variations - five checklists, the trade and sold statement backs, the three-state #43 Don Landrum, three team-card dot pairs and the #161 Jerry Lumpe white streak - that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, 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 2026-10-11.