Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes’ 2024 Topps Chrome Update MLB debut patch autograph card sold for a stunning $1.11 million, including buyer’s premium, on Thursday.
It’s a record paid for a Skenes card — whose 2025 base salary is $875,000 — and the most expensive modern, non-Mike Trout baseball card. A 1-of-1 Trout rookie card sold for $3.9 million in August 2020, then the most expensive sports card of all time.
Dick’s Sporting Goods released a statement announcing their purchase of the card. They will display it at the Dick’s House of Sport store at Pittsburgh’s Ross Park. The purchase doubles as an announcement as Dick’s will move to become a purveyor of sports cards and memorabilia.
“Dick’s is passionate about bringing fans closer to the game,” said Dick’s executive chairman Ed Stack in the statement. “Acquiring the Paul Skenes MLB Debut Patch card enables us to celebrate his incredible talent while giving our athletes a unique opportunity to experience a piece of baseball history up close.”
The 1-of-1 numbered card with an on-card autograph includes a patch Skenes wore on his Pirates uniform during his major league debut, a conceit that MLB exclusive trading card licensee Topps developed and introduced for the 2023 season.
Pre-Skenes, the most paid for one was $150,000 in a private sale for Anthony Volpe’s last summer. Jackson Holiday’s MLB debut patch autograph card sold for $198,000, including buyer’s premium, in Thursday’s auction.
The Skenes factor — the National League’s All-Star Game starting pitcher, a Cy Young finalist and Rookie of the Year in 2024 — spawned a chase rarely seen for a modern sports card, baseball or otherwise. Last Christmas, an 11-year-old Dodgers fan from Los Angeles (the family has chosen to remain anonymous) pulled the Skenes redemption card from his lone present.
The Pirates offered a bounty, including 30 years of season tickets, a meet-and-greet with Skenes, two signed jerseys and a number of private PNC Park and spring training tours and experiences in exchange for the card. Skenes’ girlfriend and LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne offered to host whoever pulled the card for a Pirates game in her suite; Seth Meyers, host of “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” also offered a VIP experience just to see the card.
But the family turned it down. They started talking with auction houses in early January and chose Fanatics Collect. Kevin Lenane, Fanatics’ Marketplace vice president, flew to Texas to personally collect the Skenes card.
“This was complicated by the fact that the family was evacuated from where they were in Los Angeles multiple times,” Lenane said. “I got the card from Topps in Texas and brought it to the family out there then the following day graded it for them [with card grader PSA] and brought it back to New York.”
On the flight to California, the pilot found out about Lenane’s heavily insured cargo, tucked away in a protective case.
“I discreetly shared it with him, [and] he wanted a picture,” said Lenane, the former president of PSA, an authentication and grading service. “I honestly felt like Ed McMahon, bringing this check to an excited, modest Southern California family. A lot of times with larger items, you’ll spent a bunch of money and make a bunch of money; in this case, the family bought one box of cards for a few hundred bucks, and this is the outcome. It was a pleasure to be able to bring it to them.”
The card also caused a pileup at Fanatics’ Super Bowl LIX party in February to look at the card, which was encased on a wall. Fanatics Collect CEO Nick Bell said the viewing scene “felt a little like the Mona Lisa” because of the line of people who wanted to take a peek at the rare collectible.
The 11-year-old who pulled the card is a fan of Shohei Ohtani but is still looking forward to talking with Skenes, a meeting Fanatics plans to facilitate down the road, Lenane said.
Bell said he can’t recall a time since he joined the company that there has been such fervor over a card.
“I’ve had more calls and questions about the Skenes card than any other card we’ve sold on Fanatics,” he said. “And that was true within five, 10 minutes of [the card going to auction] being announced. This is the most notable card ever in terms of our impression tracking on social media.”
Fanatics Collectibles is based in Los Angeles, and Bell said all Fanatics Collect proceeds will go toward L.A. fire relief. Fanatics has also supported relief efforts with LA Strong merchandise.
The family told Fanatics the sale will send their 11-year-old and his brother to college.
“Whatever they have in mind for their college, they’re going to split down the middle as a savings,” Lenane said. “There’s some small amount set aside for cards, but it’s tiny compared to the college bill. The vast majority is going into college-type savings plans.”
