1978 Topps #38 Willie Montanez
About Willie Montanez
The Braves are on #38, but on December 8, 1977 Montanez went to the Mets in the first four-team trade in major-league history, which moved eleven players. He led the 1978 Mets with 17 home runs and 96 RBI on a team that narrowly avoided 100 losses, and led National League first basemen in assists for the third time.
Willie Montanez was a left-handed first baseman and outfielder from Catano, Puerto Rico, one of the two most flamboyant personalities of 1970s baseball, along with Tito Fuentes. He flipped his bat like a baton, ended his swings with a high, circular finish like a matador twirling a sword, and was labeled a hot dog by critics, a tag he disputed. The Cardinals signed him in 1965, the Angels took him in the Rule 5 draft, and he made his debut as a pinch-runner on April 12, 1966. He reached the Phillies in 1970 as a player to be named in the Curt Flood trade. He played for the Phillies, Giants, Braves, Mets, Rangers, Padres, Expos and Pirates, and retired after 1982 with 139 home runs and a .275 average over 1,632 games.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 106 | 10 | 50 | 27 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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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Related cards
Team card: #551 Atlanta Braves Team
More Atlanta Braves cards:
- #10 Phil Niekro
- #75 Dick Ruthven
- #93 Bobby Cox
- #130 Jeff Burroughs
- #156 Andy Messersmith
- #187 Jerry Royster
- #206 1977 Strikeout Leaders
- #217 Rod Gilbreath
- #242 Barry Bonnell
- #264 Jamie Easterly
- #296 Biff Pocoroba
- #322 Tom Paciorek
- #349 Rick Camp
- #372 Brian Asselstine
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #38 card?
It is card #38 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Willie Montanez of the Atlanta Braves.
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.