1978 Topps #99 Willie Hernandez
About Willie Hernandez
The Cubs selected Hernandez from Philadelphia in the 1976 Rule 5 draft. In his April 9, 1977 debut, he allowed 1 hit in 2 1/3 scoreless relief innings. He finished his first season with 110 innings and a 3.03 ERA. His 1978 Topps rookie card is #99, with the Cubs.
Willie Hernandez won the American League's MVP and Cy Young awards as Detroit's closer in 1984. The Puerto Rican left-hander worked 140 1/3 innings with a 1.92 ERA and 32 saves, then helped the Tigers win the World Series. Mike Cuellar had taught him a screwball in Puerto Rican winter ball, and Ferguson Jenkins showed him a cut fastball with the Cubs in 1983. Hernandez also pitched 4 hitless innings for Philadelphia in the 1983 World Series. He made three consecutive All-Star teams from 1984 through 1986 and finished 13 major league seasons with 147 saves. After baseball, he operated a steel construction business and a cattle ranch in Puerto Rico.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 249 | 40 | 136 | 53 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| SGC | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #99 card?
It is card #99 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Willie Hernandez of the Chicago Cubs.
Is 1978 Topps #99 a rookie card?
Yes - #99 is the 1978 Topps rookie card of Willie Hernandez.
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.