In what can only be described as a sports memorabilia marvel, an 11-year-old from Los Angeles is poised to out-earn a Major League Baseball player—at least when it comes to card sales. The youngster has stumbled upon a veritable goldmine: a unique Paul Skenes MLB Debut Patch card, showcasing a slice of jersey from Skenes’ debut game along with his autograph. The card has already attracted bids so high that they’re making Skenes’ future salary look like small change.
As of last Wednesday evening, the item was the glittering crown jewel of a Fanatics Collect auction, boasting a jaw-dropping bid of $550,000. And when you add the buyer’s premium, the card’s final tally could balloon to an eye-watering $660,000. Meanwhile, Skenes, a laudable presence on the pitcher’s mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates, has his base salary pegged at a relatively modest $800,000 for 2025. Sure, the pitcher can hurl a baseball at speeds exceeding 100 MPH, but it seems the real magic lies in the hands of the young card collector who unearthed this treasure from its pack.
A new Pharaoh in the Pantheon of Card Collecting? You bet. This card is not just setting new benchmarks; it’s utterly decimating old ones. Previously, the high watermark for Skenes memorabilia was a 2023 Bowman Draft Chrome Prospect Superfractor card that sold for a cool $123,200 last September. The Debut Patch card, however, has already quadrupled that figure—and it’s not over yet.
Putting this in perspective: According to Card Ladder’s database, only six other cards have managed to surpass the Skenes card’s sky-high bid in 2024. These include some truly historic pieces: Babe Ruth’s 1916 rookie card, a LeBron James 2003 Upper Deck Exquisite RPA, and a Roberto Clemente 1955 Topps PSA 9, among others. Each of these sports treasures has a backstory steeped in history and legend. Now, it seems the Skenes card is catapulting itself into this rarefied stratum, having already eclipsed Shohei Ohtani’s high mark of $533,140 for a pristine Bowman Chrome Rookie Autograph. Soon, perhaps, even icons like Mickey Mantle and Honus Wagner will find their pedestals sharing space with this newcomer from the 2020s.
The million-dollar question that’s on everyone’s mind: How high can this card go? The buzz and demand surrounding this card go beyond just Skenes’ undeniable talent on the field. It’s a perfect storm of several factors—scarcity, narrative allure, and star wattage all contribute to its skyrocketing status.
First, there’s Skenes himself. The young athlete has taken Major League Baseball by storm, quickly earning his place as an All-Star and the NL Rookie of the Year. As his on-field feats continue to capture the imagination of baseball fans, the tale of the card offers yet another captivating chapter.
Then there’s the mysterious young seller—the anonymous collector behind this headline-grabbing item. Their decision to remain nameless only adds a layer of mystery, grippingly woven into this tapestry of intrigue.
Add a sprinkle of pop culture dazzle with Skenes’ girlfriend, Livvy Dunne, a powerhouse in NCAA nil deals and social media. Her very presence in Skenes’ life amplifies interest, casting a wider net onto this entire affair.
The auction, still raging, promises to rewrite the rulebook of modern memorabilia collecting. And somewhere in the heart of Los Angeles, there’s an 11-year-old who’s pulling off one of the most remarkable financial flips in baseball card history. That kid is living what must seem like a surreal dream—charmed bytes of luck, a fairy tale of card collecting come true—and for those of us watching, it’s a reminder that sometimes, the greatest curves in life’s fastball are thrown by fate itself.
Stay tuned. If you think this story has reached its peak, the upcoming chapters might just set new records yet unknown, both for the card’s final sale price and for the unfolding growth in a hobby that continues to surprise and thrill. We might all be witnesses to a historical crescendo; a hero’s tale told not just in innings, but in dollars and cents, trading cards, and cherished memorabilia.
