An 11-year-old baseball card collector from Los Angeles just pulled what is likely the most important card they will ever pull.
Topps, the card manufacturer, confirmed Tuesday morning that the Paul Skenes 1/1 Debut Patch card was in fact unpacked.
The card features the patch that the 2023 No. 1 pick wore on his jersey on his MLB debut, making it a “true one-of-a-kind offering,” according to Bleacher Report.
Now, while the card is worth a fair chunk of change, multiple trade offers have already been submitted by both the Pittsburgh Pirates – who Skenes pitches for – and Skenes’ girlfriend, LSU gymnast and influencer Livvy Dunne.
The Pirates are offering two season tickets behind home plate for the next 30 years and a private softball game at PNC Park (the Pirates’ stadium) in exchange for the card.
This lucky pre-teen could also have a spring training experience “like no other,” according to the team, complete with a private tour of Pirates City and LECOM Park, a meet-and-greet with Paul Skenes himself and two autographed jerseys, the chance to take batting practice and warm up with the team, and other unique experiences.
Dunne upped the stakes by including everything the Pirates promised, plus the chance to sit with her in her suite at PNC Park.
The 22-year-old Skenes, an Orange County native, put together a solid rookie season this past year, going 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and becoming just the fifth rookie to start at pitcher for the National League in MLB All-Star Game history.
Now, it’s up to the 11-year-old to decide whether to keep the card or not (maybe with the help of their parents), but either way, it’s likely that they will go down as a baseball legend regardless of whether they play professionally or not.
