An impressive windfall for an 11-year-old Los Angeles Dodgers fan: the one-of-a-kind 2024 Topps Chrome Update MLB debut patch autograph card of Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes sold for a remarkable $1.11 million at auction, as MLB.com reports. This card, featuring a patch from Skenes' major league debut, set a record for the most expensive non-Mike Trout card, notably exceeding Skenes' own 2025 base salary of $875,000, according to details released by ESPN. After declining a robust offer from the Pirates including season tickets and memorabilia, the card was placed at auction by the family, choosing to stay anonymous through the saga.
The lucky discovery of the rare card came from a single, albeit pricey, Christmas gift of baseball cards, igniting not just fame for the child but also a bidding frenzy. The Skenes card's rarity was augmented by his incredible rookie season where he earned National League Rookie of the Year, started the All-Star Game, and was a finalist for the Cy Young Award. Topps notes the child who found the card documented his journey in a series of journal entries, one of which declared "So pulling this card is a dream come true." The pot was sweetened by personal touches such as the Pittsburgh Pirates' bid for the card, which included a plethora of fan experiences, and also Skenes' girlfriend Livvy Dunne's offer for a special game viewing, ultimately the family's decision to auction the prized card proved lucrative.
Proceeds from the auction took on a charitable note when Fanatics Collect committed to directing all its gains to support victims of the recent Southern California wildfires, KTLA notes. The family revealed that the earnings from the sale would be used for their children's college funds, allowing both the 11-year-old and his brother to have their education secured. Fanatics Collect CEO Nick Bell remarked on the unprecedented buzz the Skenes card generated, comparing the onlookers' fervor at their Super Bowl party to the attention bestowed upon the Mona Lisa.
While the purchaser of the card remains a mystery, Kevin Lenane, Fanatics' Marketplace vice president, played a pivotal role, personally retrieving the card from Topps in Texas and ensuring it was graded before the sale; "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," Lenane told ESPN, describing the elaborate but gratifying process of truly hitting a home run for an "excited, modest Southern California family."
