Pirates' Paul Skenes' rookie patch card uncovered in Los Angeles

Andrew Destin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Jan 21, 2025

Published in Baseball

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PITTSBURGH — A preteen from Paul Skenes' home state has secured one of the most coveted baseball cards in the game.

Topps announced Tuesday that a special print card, which features Skenes' autograph and a jersey patch from the right-hander's MLB debut, was uncovered by an 11-year-old collector hailing from Los Angeles. Skenes, 22, was named National League Rookie of the Year following a sensational first MLB season in which he finished top three in Cy Young award voting.

Back in November, the Pirates publicly shared the details of a prospective trade with whichever collector acquired Skenes' card. That package would include 30 years of Pirates season tickets for two people behind home plate, a private tour of Pirate City and LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla., and a meet-and-greet event with Skenes among other experiences and memorabilia in exchange for the card.

In 2024, Skenes went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA across 23 starts and was not only named to the All-Star Game but started it for the National League. The fate of Skenes' commemorative rookie card hangs in the balance after a collector across the country finally got ahold of it.

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