1979 Topps #409 Willie Wilson
About Willie Wilson
Wilson stole 46 bases in 127 games during his first full Kansas City season in 1978. He batted .217 in 198 at-bats. After late May, the Royals used him mostly as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. His rookie card appeared in 1979 Topps as #409, identifying him with Kansas City.
Willie Wilson was a switch-hitting outfielder who won the 1982 American League batting title with a .332 average for Kansas City. His 19-season major-league career included 15 years with the Royals, followed by Oakland and the Cubs. A catcher at Summit High School in New Jersey, Wilson signed with Kansas City as a first-round draft pick in 1974 after committing to play football at Maryland. He began switch-hitting during spring training in 1977. He led the AL with 83 stolen bases in 1979. In 1980, he led the AL with 230 hits, 133 runs and 15 triples while batting .326, winning a Gold Glove and his first Silver Slugger. He received another Silver Slugger in 1982 and made the All-Star team in 1982 and 1983. Wilson batted .367 with 11 hits in the 1985 World Series as the Royals defeated St. Louis. That season he hit a career-high 21 triples. He led the AL in triples 5 times, most recently in 1988. Wilson finished with 2,207 hits, 668 stolen bases and a .285 average. Kansas City inducted him into the Royals Hall of Fame in 2000.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 273 | 3 | 68 | 107 | 42 | 24 | 17 | 12 | 0 |
| SGC | 19 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 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 1979 Topps #409 card?
It is card #409 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Willie Wilson of the Kansas City Royals.
Is 1979 Topps #409 a rookie card?
Yes - #409 is the 1979 Topps rookie card of Willie Wilson.
How many cards are in the 1979 Topps Baseball set?
726 cards, numbered 1 through 726 with none skipped and issued as a single series, tracked as 727 collectible states: #369 Bump Wills comes with a Rangers or a Blue Jays team banner, and the master set counts both.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA, 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.