Rare Paul Skenes rookie card sells for jaw-dropping $1.11M at auction

On Friday morning, a Paul Skenes 2024 Topps Chrome Update MLB Debut Patch autographed card, numbered 1-of-1, sold for $1.11M at auction, one of the highest prices ever paid for a baseball card.

The card features an autograph by the Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher and includes a patch from the jersey that he wore the first time he walked out onto the field as an MLB player. Only one exists, and it marks a key moment in the player’s history. 

Skenes went on to become NL Rookie of the Year in 2024 with 170 strikeouts in 133 innings.

What makes this particular sale even more unique is that it’s the first known sale of a card from the new MLB Debut Patch set. The MLB Debut Patch program is a partnership of MLB and Topps to create a new type of collectible. As part of the program, every new player wears a special "MLB Debut" patch stitched into their jersey for their first game. After the match, they remove the patch, authenticate it and turn it into a 1-of-1 card.

An 11-year-old boy pulled the card on Christmas morning, and his reaction to finding it went viral. The Pittsburgh Pirates even made an offer for the card. They offered the family a deal that included behind-home-plate season tickets for 30 years and even a meet-and-greet with Skenes, but after consulting with experts, the family decided to sell it at auction. 

Fanatics Collect ran a two-week auction that resulted in the sale to an anonymous buyer.