A Paul Skenes baseball card just sold for an eye-popping $1.11 million at auction on Thursday. The rare autographed card features the Pittsburgh Pirates phenom’s MLB debut.
The buyer chose to remain anonymous, making the purchase through Fanatics Collect.
This sale isn’t just impressive—it’s historic. The card sold for more than Skenes’ actual salary this season. The rookie pitcher is making $875,000 in 2024, meaning his cardboard likeness is literally worth more than his paycheck.
Of all active MLB players, only Mike Trout has ever had a card sell for more money. Trout still holds the modern sports card record with his one-of-one rookie card that fetched $3.9 million back in August 2020.
Before this Skenes bombshell, the highest amount paid in a private sale was $150,000 for a card of Yankees infielder Anthony Volpe.
What makes this card so special? It’s a one-of-one that includes an actual piece of the jersey Skenes wore during his MLB debut.
The card’s journey to this million-dollar sale is pretty incredible.
An 11-year-old Dodgers fan pulled the ultra-rare card last Christmas. This happened after Skenes himself had started searching for it.
The Pirates had gone public with an amazing offer for whoever found the card—30 years of season tickets, a meet-and-greet with Skenes, signed jerseys, and private stadium tours. Skenes’ girlfriend, LSU gymnastics star Livvy Dunne, even offered to host the lucky finder in her suite for a game.
Despite these tempting perks, the family turned down the Pirates’ offer.
Instead, they spoke with several auction houses before deciding to sell through Fanatics Collect. The card was so valuable that Kevin Lenane, Fanatics’ Marketplace vice president, actually flew to Texas personally to collect it.
The sale will benefit a good cause too. All proceeds from Fanatics Collect will be donated to Los Angeles Fire Relief funds, with the remainder going to the 11-year-old’s family.
