Paul Skenes MLB debut The 11-year-old from Los Angeles who drew the patch card will sell it for more money than Skenes earns from his base salary in 2025 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
With a bid of 56 on Wednesday night, Gem-Mint PSA 10 signed one rookie card that Patch Sken, worn by Skens in his jersey sleeve during his major league debut, had a high bid of $550,000 at the time of this writing. That means that the auction house buyer premium (donated to the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Red Cross), but the new owner of the card will need to pony up $660,000 for one of the most hyped cards in the hobby.
And there's plenty of time for more bids as the fanatic card auction closes on March 20th.
At some point, the Skenes could earn $44 million per season if they continue on their current trajectory. For now, however, Pittsburgh's Pirates All-Star pitcher will earn a base salary of $800,000 this season via Spotrac.
The Skenes MLB debut patch card already has a price tag of more than four times the most expensive sale of one of the other cards. The previous high mark was set by the pitcher's 2023 Bowman Draft Chrome Prospect Superfractor Card (PSA 7 Card Grade, 10 Auto Grade) and sold last September at Goldin Auctions for $123,200.
Since the beginning of 2024, there have been 29 sales of individual cards for at least $500,000 recorded by Card Ladder database. Only six cards during that period are on sale more than where the Skenes cards are standing as of Wednesday morning.
- $1.37 million: 1916 M101-4 Sports News Bay Beerath Blank Rookie PSA 7 Grade (Heritage)
- $1.2 million: 2003-04 Exquisite Collection of Upper Decks LeBron James Rookie Patch Sign Number 23 of 23; Beckett 8.5 Card Grade, 10 Auto Grade (Goldin)
- 1.0 million dollars: 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente PSA 9 (Heritage)
- $860,100: 2023-24 Panini Prizm Victor Wembanyama Nebula Choice Prizm, No. 1 of 1, PSA 9 (Goldin)
- $701,500: 1997 Skybox ex 2001 Allen Iverson Essential Credentials Now, 3 of 3, PSA 5 (Heritage)
- $579,500: 1997-98 Skybox Ex 2001 Kobe Bryant Essential Credentials Now, number 1 of 8, Beckett 9 (Goldin)
(Shohei Ohtani's record card sale took place in November, when the pristine BGS 10 grade, numbered 25, with a 2018 Bowman Chrome Rookie signature on sale for $533,140.)
The Skenes MLB debut patch card will outperform the $500,000 card Tally One Tick when auction closes next week. But how much does this card end up being? There are speculations from the following Athletic'Staff:
Rally holder
I'm recording this card saying it could reach a price tag of $1 million. Is that too low as we are already in the middle? What I believe is true is what Nick Bell, CEO of Fanatics Collect and Fanatics Live, told me just before the card auction opened.
“Obviously, we'll get a lot of inbounds from now on, because the inbounds we receive for this card are usually interested in the first major acquisition in the space, not just from the large collectors who circumnavigate this type of card, but also from many non-collectors who are really interested in this card.”
Interest from non-traditional crowds could make this card more unique than the top dollar Hornas Wagner or Mickey Mantle card. While these cards may be sold more, there is only one Skenes debut patch card, and the hype surrounding it may be unparalleled with the latest cards.
So I'm still bullish on the seven-figure sale. I guess $1.1 million This will be the final bid.
Caleb Mezzie
When the Skenes MLB debut patch landed on the hands of an 11 year old, I refused offers from everyone from Pirates and Livivy Dan to Ken Goldin, I predicted health $2 million.
Here's why: First there was a chase that spurred the Pirates' offer of bounty, praised by Willie Wonka. Then there's Skens himself, arguably the most generational pitching talent since Stephen Strasberg, when the sports card industry was much smaller. His talent and timing are the following ingredients:
Skens also had an interesting path that came from the LSU college baseball powerhouse, where he transferred as a catcher with the Air Force. His story, over 100 MPH fastballs, NL Rookie of the Year season and the start of the All-Star Game are other elements. Then there's the story of an 11-year-old kid who was pulled a card and anonymous by Topps to protect his privacy.
But perhaps the biggest factor in this is Paul Skens' famous girlfriend. If he is the face of the debut patch, then she is the face of NCAA Nir. Her celebrity status brought attention to their relationship and this card, drawing eyes and potential bids.
Dan Usman
Skenes has the appearance of a generation of pitchers and he was able to be even better than shown in his professional career. But when some financial portfolios hit, we're talking a lot about money. Looking at the ceiling $1.5 million.
Craig Custance
There's so much talk about this card that I think it'll end up past $1 million $1.7 million. But we're still talking about pitchers, but this isn't a premium position in collecting in general so we're not ready to push over $2 million.
Brook specs
Although I have to admit that I didn't think that bids on the card were already this high, it has become clear that the interest in this card has surpassed the normal collector's circle thanks to all the factors Caleb placed above. But how high can those factors force bids? Story aside, it's difficult to justify the seven-digit value of a card. Pitchers are generally less valuable than hobby batsmen. There is also a great risk of long-term injuries. The MLB Debut Patch Card is a very unique item and we are just beginning to find footing in the space, but there are no other debut patch cards for sale near where the Skenes cards are already located. But with that being said, you can no longer divorce the story from the card. It has become perhaps the most widely recognized and pop culture-related baseball card of the past 25-30 years. So, I think it's now over $1 million, but $2 million still seems too far from the bridge. So I say it will land $1.4 million.
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(Photo above: Joe Sargent/MLB photo via Getty Images)
