...
By Seth Quinn
Contributing Sports Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Paul Skenes is a famous MLB player whose debut in the major leagues was highly anticipated. He lived up to the hype, finishing his rookie season with a 1.96 ERA and an 11-3 record for the 76-86 Pittsburgh Pirates.
Given the hype surrounding the young pitcher, his baseball card is worth a lot of money given the potential value it could have as his career progresses. That especially applies to a card from his MLB debut, which is autographed and has a patch from his jersey.
When an 11-year-old from Los Angeles acquired the card as a Christmas present, he likely didn't realize at first, but the card would help make him a millionaire.
Read More on MLB
Originally, the Pirates gave the kid an offer for the card, but he declined, which seems to have turned out to be a great decision.
At an auction, the card was sold for $1.11 million, making the kid a millionaire. Most people only ask for a million dollars for Christmas as a joke, but this kid actually received a million dollars as a Christmas present.
...
What made the card so valuable is the fact it was a 1-of-1 card. That is what gave the card a value that even topped Skene's MLB salary of $875,000.
The card was auctioned off through Fanatics by the kid and his family and was bought for a whopping amount by Dick's Sporting Goods after a long two-week auction. 64 total bids were made for the card.
Fanatics Collect, who helped run the auction, announced the sale included a 20% buyer's premium, and they plan to donate its proceeds to the LA Fire Relief Fund.
Dick's plans to display the card in a collectors' space at a House of Sport in Pittsburgh. For anyone passionate about card collecting, this display will surely be a popular attraction based on the background story and price it was sold for.
At just 22 years old, Skenes likely has a long MLB career ahead of him. He made his MLB debut just last May, which makes this interest in his debut card hard to fathom.
However, given the hype he received before rising up the ranks to the MLB, it makes sense given how the world of baseball cards works.
As the number one pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Skenes had an extremely fast rise to the MLB where he immediately thrived. There are plenty of signs that indicate he will have a long-lasting career that will make this card seem like a bargain in the future.
For more MLB news, make sure to head over to Newsweek Sports.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines