1978 Topps #427 Mario Soto
About Mario Soto
Six days after his July 21, 1977 debut, Soto won his first major-league start by throwing a complete game against the Cubs, striking out 9 in a 6-2 victory. He finished the season 2-6 with a 5.34 ERA in 12 appearances. His Cincinnati rookie card followed as 1978 Topps #427.
Mario Soto pitched all 12 of his major-league seasons for Cincinnati, combining a fastball in the mid-90s with a changeup. A catcher in the Dominican Republic before converting to pitching at 17, he signed with the Reds in 1973. He set a Reds season record with 274 strikeouts in 1982 and made the National League All-Star team in 1982, 1983 and 1984. In 1983 he finished second to John Denny in NL Cy Young Award voting; his career-high 18 wins followed in 1984. Soto finished with 100 victories and 1,449 strikeouts before shoulder injuries ended his career. He later coached in Cincinnati's organization and entered the Reds Hall of Fame in 2001.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · National Baseball Hall of Fame · MLB.com · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 176 | 31 | 89 | 36 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| SGC | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 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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Related cards
Team card: #526 Cincinnati Reds Team
More Cincinnati Reds cards:
- #5 Pete Rose
- #20 Pete Rose
- #47 Jack Billingham
- #80 Ken Griffey
- #106 Bill Plummer
- #126 Paul Moskau
- #149 Dale Murray
- #180 Dave Concepcion
- #202 1977 Home Run Leaders
- #203 1977 RBI Leaders
- #220 Pedro Borbon
- #246 Dan Driessen
- #273 Fred Norman
- #276 Bill Bonham
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #427 card?
It is card #427 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mario Soto of the Cincinnati Reds.
Is 1978 Topps #427 a rookie card?
Yes - #427 is the 1978 Topps rookie card of Mario Soto.
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.