1977 Topps #493 Rookie Pitchers - Mike Krukow / Jim Otten / Gary Wheelock / Mike Willis
On this card: Mike Krukow, Jim Otten, Gary Wheelock, Mike Willis
About this card
Cards #472-479 and #487-494 are the sixteen four-player Rookie Prospects cards. A Rookie Prospects card is a rookie card for the players on it who had no earlier Topps flagship card - on #472, #473, #474, #475, #487, #489, #491 and #493 at least one of the four had already appeared on one, and the rookie-card answer on each card names the players it counts for.
The story on this card
Krukow joined the Cubs' rotation in 1977 and made 33 starts, finishing 8-14 with a 4.40 ERA. He struck out 106 batters in 172 innings. His #493 card is a four-player Rookie Prospects card, shared with Jim Otten of the White Sox, Gary Wheelock of the Mariners and Mike Willis of the Blue Jays, and it is the rookie card of Krukow, Wheelock and Willis. Right-handed starter for the Cubs, Phillies and Giants who went 124-117 with a 3.90 ERA in 14 seasons. He won 20 games for San Francisco in 1986, made the All-Star team, and joined the Giants' broadcast booth in 1990.
Otten's last big league work before this card was 6 innings for the 1976 White Sox, with a 4.50 ERA and three strikeouts. His card, #493 in the Topps Rookie Prospects subset, sits with Mike Krukow of the Cubs, Gary Wheelock of the Mariners and Mike Willis of the Blue Jays, and it lists Otten with the White Sox. Krukow, Wheelock and Willis have rookie cards here. Right-hander from Arizona State, a second-round pick of the White Sox in 1973 who pitched 64 big league games for Chicago and St. Louis from 1974 to 1981. His lone win came in relief against Houston on May 14, 1981.
Seattle selected Wheelock from California in the 1976 expansion draft after he had pitched two games for the Angels. Topps included him on 1977 Rookie Prospects #493 with the Mariners, alongside Mike Krukow of the Cubs, Jim Otten of the White Sox and Toronto's Mike Willis. Gary Wheelock pitched for California and Seattle before a long coaching career in the Mariners' organization. The right-hander had gone 17-2 for UC Irvine and later coached youth baseball in New Zealand.
Toronto selected Willis from Baltimore in the 1976 expansion draft, and he began working in relief while playing winter ball in Venezuela. His 1977 rookie card, #493, belonged to the Rookie Prospects subset. It paired Toronto's Willis with Mike Krukow of the Cubs, Jim Otten of the White Sox and Seattle's Gary Wheelock. Mike Willis was a left-handed Toronto pitcher during the club's first five seasons. A Vanderbilt graduate drafted by Baltimore, he worked mainly in relief and later coached in the Phillies' minor league system.
Sources: Wikipedia (Mike Krukow) · Wikipedia (Jim Otten) · Wikipedia (Gary Wheelock) · Wikipedia (Mike Willis) · MiLB.com · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 180 | 19 | 94 | 47 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| SGC | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 cards: #518 Chicago Cubs Team, #418 Chicago White Sox Team, #597 Seattle Mariners Team, #113 Toronto Blue Jays Team
More Chicago Cubs cards:
- #1 1976 Batting Leaders
- #64 Larry Biittner
- #92 Dave Rosello
- #124 George Mitterwald
- #144 Bruce Sutter
- #169 Darold Knowles
More Chicago White Sox cards:
More Seattle Mariners cards:
More Toronto Blue Jays cards:
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1977 Topps #493 card?
It is card #493 of the 660-card 1977 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mike Krukow, Jim Otten, Gary Wheelock and Mike Willis. Cards #472-479 and #487-494 are the sixteen four-player Rookie Prospects cards. A Rookie Prospects card is a rookie card for the players on it who had no earlier Topps flagship card - on #472, #473, #474, #475, #487, #489, #491 and #493 at least one of the four had already appeared on one, and the rookie-card answer on each card names the players it counts for.
Is 1977 Topps #493 a rookie card?
Yes - #493 is the rookie card of Mike Krukow, Gary Wheelock and Mike Willis. Jim Otten had already appeared on an earlier Topps card, so it is not his rookie card.
How many cards are in the 1977 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, numbered 1 through 660 with none skipped and distributed as a single series. No card carries a catalogued print variation, so the base set and the master set are the same 660 cards.
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.