1977 Topps #299 Otto Velez
About Otto Velez
A bench role in 1976 still put Velez on a pennant winner: he played 49 games for the Yankees and hit .266 with 2 home runs. He was on the roster for the ALCS against Kansas City and the World Series against the Reds, going hitless in 1 at-bat and then 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. On November 5, 1976, Toronto selected him in the expansion draft. Topps put him on #299 in 1977, listed with the Blue Jays.
Otto Velez was a right-handed Puerto Rican hitter who played outfield, first base and designated hitter for the Yankees, the Blue Jays and the Indians between 1973 and 1983. A native of Ponce, he signed with the Yankees as an amateur free agent on December 23, 1969, and reached the majors in September 1973. He played for New York through 1976, then joined the expansion Toronto Blue Jays for their first season and stayed through 1982. His best year was 1980, with 20 home runs and 62 RBI in 104 games. On May 4 of that year he hit four home runs in a doubleheader against Cleveland, one of each kind: a solo shot, a two-run homer, a three-run homer and a grand slam, for 10 runs batted in. Toronto released him on September 7, 1982; he signed with Cleveland in February 1983, played 10 games and retired after the season. He finished with 78 home runs and 272 RBI in 637 games.
Sources: Baseball-Reference · National Baseball Hall of Fame
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 80 | 6 | 47 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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: #113 Toronto Blue Jays Team
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- #326 Jesse Jefferson
- #346 Bill Singer
- #377 Dave McKay
- #392 Phil Roof
- #416 Chuck Hartenstein
- #465 Rico Carty
- #473 1977 Rookie Outfielders
- #474 1977 Rookie Shortstops
- #477 1977 Rookie Infielders
- #478 1977 Rookie Pitchers
- #479 1977 Rookie Outfielders
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1977 Topps #299 card?
It is card #299 of the 660-card 1977 Topps Baseball set, picturing Otto Velez of the Toronto Blue Jays.
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.