An 11-year-old in Los Angeles pulled a treasure when he unwrapped a one-of-a-kind Paul Skenes baseball card, Topps said Tuesday.
A one-of-one edition Skenes card is from the Debut Patch collection and is autographed by Skenes as part of the 2024 Topps Chrome Update. The release includes rookies and select second-year players.
The card is projected to auction for $1.5 million.
There’s already a standing offer from Skenes’ employer, the Pittsburgh Pirates, who resurfaced their proposed swap on Tuesday that includes two season tickets behind home plate for the next 30 years.
In total, the offer from the MLB team is valued at under $1 million. The full treasure trove from the Pirates outlined when the card was released in November featured the tickets, two autographed Skenes jerseys; a softball game for 30 people at PNC Park with coaching from team alumni; a meet-and-greet with Skenes; batting practice and warmup with the Pirates; experiences during spring training with the Pirates at their facility in Bradenton, Fla.
Topps said Tuesday it was unclear if the 11-year-old collector accepted the offer from the Pirates.