The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Friday that they are offering a package of perks, including 30 years worth of season tickets at PNC Park, in exchange for a coveted 1-of-1 Paul Skenes rookie card.
The card in question is part of the 2024 Topps Chrome Update set that released this week. In addition to being a 1-of-1, the card features Skenes' autograph and the MLB debut patch he wore on his jersey during his first MLB regular-season game.
If the person who pulls the card is willing to give it to the Pirates organization, the Pirates revealed Friday that they will provide the person with 30 years of season tickets for two behind home plate, a softball game for 30 people at PNC Park featuring Pirates alumni as coaches and a special spring training experience.
The Pirates will also provide the original owner of the card with two jerseys signed by Skenes. Livvy Dunne, LSU gymnast and Skenes' girlfriend, posted on her Instagram story that the person who finds the card can also sit with her in a suite at a Pirates game:
Topps began the MLB debut patch rookie card phenomenon last season, featuring stars such as New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee and Oakland Athletics closer Mason Miller.
As highly sought after as that set was, demand for the Skenes card promises to blow the rest of them out of the water.
A big reason for that is the estimated value, as Topps believes the Skenes card could ultimately be worth six figures depending on how his career progresses, per Sports Collectors Digest.
Given how dominant Skenes was as a rookie, the card may very well fetch six figures right out of the pack, meaning it is no guarantee that the collector who pulls it will take the Pirates up on their offer.
Following a spectacular collegiate career at LSU, Skenes went No. 1 overall to the Pirates in the 2023 MLB draft, and it didn't take him long to prove he was deserving of the top selection.
After starting the 2024 season in the minors, Skenes was called up in May and he never looked back. The 22-year-old righty made 23 starts this past season, going 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 170 strikeouts over 133 innings.
He became only the fifth rookie to ever start the All-Star Game, he is a virtual lock to be named National League Rookie of the Year and he is an NL Cy Young Award finalist as well.
The hype surrounding Skenes is similar to that of Stephen Strasburg when he broke into the big leagues with the Washington Nationals in 2010.
Strasburg cards were all the rage and he went on to have a great career, earning three All-Star selections and winning both a World Series title and a World Series MVP Award. However, injuries limited him to just eight career seasons with 20 or more starts.
If the person who pulls the Skenes card holds onto it rather than selling it immediately or trading it to the Pirates, they could risk injuries or a downturn in performance tanking the value of the card.
At the same time, if Skenes continues to establish himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball, the value will only increase.
The collector who is lucky enough to get their hands on the 1-of-1 Skenes MLB debut card was already going to have a tough decision on their hands, and the Pirates' involvement could make their decision even more difficult.
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