PITTSBURGH — Turns out baseballs aren’t the only thing Paul Skenes can get to move fast.
A Topps trading card featuring a patch from the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher’s jersey and his autograph is so hot the Pirates are making a splashy offer in hopes of landing it in trade.
The team has put together a package that includes season tickets behind home plate at PNC Park for 30 years, a softball game on the field, and a meet and greet with Skenes for whoever lands the one-of-a-kind item and gives it to the team.
Skenes’ girlfriend, LSU gymnast and influencer Livvy Dunne, also got in on the act, saying whoever produces the card and swaps it with the club can take in a Pirates game alongside her in a luxury suite.
The card could hold pretty high value in the open market considering the potentially bright future ahead for the 22-year-old Skenes, whose fastball hits triple digits with regularity.
The first overall pick in the 2023 draft made his major league debut in May and put together one of the most impressive rookie seasons in recent memory. Skenes was named the starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star Game after just 11 starts and finished the season 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 games for the Pirates.
Skenes was named a finalist for the NL Cy Young and NL Rookie of the Year on Monday. The honours will be given out next week.
A spokesperson for Fanatics, which owns Topps, said the collectibles company was surprised itself when the Pirates put out an all-call for the card. The company hadn’t experienced any treasure hunts such as this since the jersey-patched rookie cards were rolled out in 2023, public relations manager Ryan Stolz said.
Elly De La Cruz, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Colton Cowser and Jackson Holliday cards are all still floating out there somewhere in addition to Skenes, he said.
Pittsburgh’s offer generated significant buzz when it was announced Friday, not unlike the golden tickets in the classic children’s book “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.”
Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward wondered where he could buy the card and one Pittsburgh television station bought several packs of cards and considered opening them on-air.