1978 Topps #216 Mike Paxton
About Mike Paxton
Paxton's 1977 rookie season in Boston included a four-hit shutout of Milwaukee on July 28 and shared the Boston writers' rookie of the year award with Don Aase. This #216 rookie card pictures him with the Red Sox, but a six-player deal sent him to Cleveland for Dennis Eckersley and Fred Kendall in March 1978. For the Indians he started 27 games and went 12-11 with a 3.86 ERA.
Mike Paxton was a right-handed pitcher from Memphis who worked for the Red Sox and Indians over four seasons, going 30-24 with a 4.71 ERA in 99 games. The Yankees drafted him out of Oakhaven High School in 1971, but he enrolled at Memphis State instead, and Boston picked him in the 23rd and last round of the 1975 draft. He went 17-3 with a 1.03 ERA across his first pro summer and the Florida Instructional League. Called up from Pawtucket in May 1977, he debuted on May 25 with a loss to Minnesota and finished 10-5. Cleveland acquired him in March 1978, and he posted career highs of 96 strikeouts, five complete games and 191 innings that year. He pitched four games in 1980 and finished in the minors in 1981.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 144 | 27 | 76 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1978 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #424 Boston Red Sox Team
More Boston Red Sox cards:
- #12 Don Aase
- #40 Carl Yastrzemski
- #63 Don Zimmer
- #83 Bob Montgomery
- #105 Reggie Cleveland
- #125 George Scott
- #155 Butch Hobson
- #186 Bob Stanley
- #202 1977 Home Run Leaders
- #208 1977 Leading Firemen
- #245 Rick Burleson
- #270 Carlton Fisk
- #295 Bill Lee
- #320 Fred Lynn
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #216 card?
It is card #216 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Mike Paxton of the Boston Red Sox.
Is 1978 Topps #216 a rookie card?
Yes - #216 is the 1978 Topps rookie card of Mike Paxton.
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.