Paul Skenes is celebrating his 23rd birthday today, as he continues to dominate and be one of, if not the best pitcher in all of baseball. It is hard to believe that the Pittsburgh Pirates phenom is only turning 23, as he has yet to really have a bad outing on the mound. After winning the NL Rookie of the Year award last season, all the pressure was on him to perform and produce at an exceptional level. To say that he has so far would be an understatement, as he holds a 2.15 ERA with 77 strikeouts over 75 innings pitched. Skenes is not only changing the game of baseball, he is becoming a generational figure in the sports card market.
Skenes has become the face of baseball cards and specifically one card that has gained more popularity and attention than maybe any in the history of the hobby: Topps 1/1 Debut Rookie Patch Autographed card. This card gained notoriety when an 11-year old boy from California pulled it from a pack and was offered numerous incentives from the Pirates to trade for it. In the end, it was auctioned by Fanatics Collect, and bought by Dick’s Sporting Goods for $1.11 million.
The story does not stop there, as the Dick’s House of Sport store in Pittsburgh hosted an event to unveil the card and enshrine the million dollar card in their store for collectors and fans to witness. When asked what the plan was for the future, a House of Sport representative said, “We’re in the process of getting into the trading card business in a meaningful way, and we feel that this card can show the world that we’re a real player in the trading card and collectibles business.”
While some may say that this card is simply a piece of cardboard, the argument can be made that it is a piece of history that will alter how the collectibles market looks in the future. Needless to say, none of this happens without the birthday boy, Paul Skenes, and the unbelievable talent that he has shown.