The bidding for the one-of-one Paul Skenes autographed MLB Debut Patch card has almost reached Skenes’ base salary for the 2025 season, which is $870,000 according to Spotrac.
An 11-year old boy from Los Angeles, CA pulled the card over the holidays and the bidding has already reached $550,000 as of Wednesday night. Accounting for the auction house’s buyer’s premium – which will be donated to the Red Cross and the Los Angeles Fire Department – the winner would have to pay $660,000 to own the card at the current bid.
However, there’s plenty of time left for more bids with the auction ending on March 20. For some perspective, Shohei Ohtani’s 2018 Chrome Rookie card was sold for $533,140 last November.
Worth The Money?
Skenes is coming off his first season in the majors, winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award, being selected to the All-Star Game and finishing third in National League Cy Young voting. He posted a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts and finished with an 11-3 record.
Skenes joined Jason Bay in 2004 as the only Pirates to ever be named National League Rookie of the Year. His 170 strikeouts (in just 133 innings pitched) were also a record for a Pirates rookie pitcher, but his most impressive accomplishment was perhaps his 1.96 ERA, which was the lowest for any rookie pitcher with at least 20 starts in the Live Ball era (since 1920).
Is $1 million On The Table?
If Skenes’ card reaches $1 million – which is entirely possible – it would join some rare company. Since the beginning of 2024, only three cards have publicly sold for seven figures or more: a 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente card ($1M), a 2003-04 LeBron James Rookie Patch autographed card ($1.2M) and a 1916 Sporting News Babe Ruth blank back card ($1.37M).
The 11-year-old boy – who has remained anonymous throughout this process – asked his parents for a 24-pack hobby box of the 2024 Topps Chrome Update Series for Christmas.
“You know you’re only going to have one thing under the tree,” the mother said. “And it was a hefty price. So he was like, ‘Yeah, that’s it.’” The boy journaled that the box cost $320 on StockX. In a week, he’ll be cashing in big on that wish.