Paul Skenes unique rookie baseball card fetches staggering $1,110,000 in auction

A one-of-a-kind rookie baseball card of Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes was sold for $1.11 million in the early hours of Friday morning, which is higher than his annual salary with the team. Fanatics Collect, a component of the merchandise retailer, had offered the 2024 Topps Chrome Update MLB debut patch autograph card of the Pirates right-hander as part of its March premier auction.

Paul Skenes was the No. 1 pick of the 2023 MLB Draft and made his MLB debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates last year. He later became just the fifth debutant to be the starting pitcher at an All-Star Game, as well as the first top overall draft pick to do so. Skenes went on to post a historic debut campaign in the major leagues and ended the season as the National League Rookie of the Year.

The card sold on Friday is a one-of-one edition that contains a fragment of the special patch that Skenes had worn on the sleeve of his uniform in his debut game for the Pirates along with an autograph of the pitcher. 64 bids were reportedly made for the card that was initially pulled by an 11-year-old boy in Los Angeles from his lone Christmas gift.

The $1.11 million price includes a 20% buyer's premium on the winning amount, which surpasses the $875,000 base salary that Paul Skenes will earn from the Pirates this season. Moreover, it easily beats the $150,000 record for a debut patch card earned from a one-of-one card of New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe last year.

Paul Skenes named Opening Day starter by Pirates

Paul Skenes will start the season opener for the Pirates on March 27 (Image Source: IMAGN)

The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced that Paul Skenes will be their starting pitcher on Opening Day, getting the nod ahead of the more experienced Mitch Keller, who had received the honor the previous season. They will host the Miami Marlins at PNC Park for a three-game series starting on March 27.

Manager Derek Shelton offered his thoughts on the matter while speaking to reporters after the Pirates announced their decision last week.

"I think he deserves it. Just from what he did last year, the way he’s performed," Shelton said. "I think we have a really good rotation with some other guys who can do it. Mitch has done it in the past and has done a really good job. Just felt like Paul was the best choice."

Skenes made 23 starts for the Pirates during his rookie campaign and recorded 5.9 bWAR after finishing on an 11-3 record. He pitched 133.0 innings with a 1.96 ERA, 0.947 WHIP, and 170 strikeouts to finish third in the NL Cy Young race.