1978 Topps #540 Steve Carlton
About Steve Carlton
Carlton went 23-10 with a 2.64 ERA in 1977 and received The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year honor. He struck out 198 in 283 innings and made his sixth All-Star team. In the NLCS against Los Angeles, he pitched 11 2/3 innings and lost his only decision. Topps issued Phillies card #540 in 1978 and put him on Victory Leaders #205 with Dave Goltz, Dennis Leonard and Jim Palmer.
Steve Carlton, known as Lefty, pitched 24 major league seasons from 1965 through 1988 for the Cardinals, Phillies, Giants, White Sox, Indians and Twins. Following a salary dispute, St. Louis traded him to Philadelphia for Rick Wise in February 1972. That season he went 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA and 310 strikeouts for a Phillies team that won 59 games. By leading the National League in wins, ERA and strikeouts, Carlton earned the pitching Triple Crown. He became the first pitcher to win four Cy Young Awards, taking the honor in 1972, 1977, 1980 and 1982. A ten-time All-Star, he also won a Gold Glove in 1981. Carlton pitched for the 1967 Cardinals and 1980 Phillies championship teams; against Kansas City in the 1980 World Series he won both his starts and struck out 17 in 15 innings. He and Nolan Ryan exchanged the career strikeout lead during 1983 and 1984, with Carlton ending 1983 ahead, 3,709 to 3,677. He finished his career with 329 wins, a 3.22 ERA and 4,136 strikeouts. Carlton was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994, his first year on the ballot.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · National Baseball Hall of Fame · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 1,903 | 93 | 688 | 716 | 167 | 77 | 96 | 66 | 0 |
| SGC | 187 | 0 | 25 | 84 | 32 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 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
More Steve Carlton in this set: #205 League Leaders
Team card: #381 Philadelphia Phillies Team
More Philadelphia Phillies cards:
- #26 Rich Hebner
- #52 Jim Lonborg
- #90 Larry Bowa
- #118 Terry Harmon
- #136 Ted Sizemore
- #161 Bob Boone
- #177 Gene Garber
- #205 1977 Victory Leaders
- #210 Jose Cardenal
- #222 Jerry Martin
- #235 Tim McCarver
- #247 Larry Christenson
- #271 Randy Lerch
- #297 Warren Brusstar
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #540 card?
It is card #540 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies.
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.