1978 Topps #625 Jose Cruz
About Jose Cruz
Cruz emerged as the Astros' best hitter in 1977, batting .299 with 17 home runs, 87 RBIs and 44 stolen bases. Houston fans took up the stretched chant of CRUUUUZ that public-address announcer J. Fred Duckett started when he came to bat. His 1978 Topps #625 shows him with the Astros.
Jose Cruz was a left-handed hitting outfielder who played 19 seasons, 1970 to 1988, and spent 13 of them with the Houston Astros, mostly in left field. Born in Arroyo, Puerto Rico, he signed with the Cardinals out of high school in 1966 with scout Chase Riddle. Houston bought him on October 24, 1974, and he stayed through 1987. He hit .284 for his career with 2,251 hits and 165 home runs. He also drove in 1,077 runs and stole 317 bases, was an All-Star in 1980 and 1985, and won Silver Slugger awards in 1983 and 1984. His 80 triples were still the Astros franchise record as of 2017, and Houston retired his number 25 in 1992. He finished with the Yankees in 1988 and returned to the Astros as first-base coach in 1997.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 233 | 35 | 140 | 43 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #625 card?
It is card #625 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Jose Cruz of the Houston Astros.
How many cards are in the 1978 Topps Baseball set?
726 cards, numbered 1 through 726 with none skipped and issued as a single series, and 728 collectible states: #23 Bump Wills comes with or without a black circle, and #374 Jose Morales with or without black stitching over the red laces, so the master set counts both states of each.
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.