Sports
Bidding on Paul Skenes MLB Debut Patch card nears his 2025 salary
An 11-year-old boy from Los Angeles who pulled the Paul Skenes MLB Debut Patch card will likely sell it for more money than Skenes will make from his 2025 base salary with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
With 56 bids as of Wednesday night, the gem-mint PSA 10 graded autographed one-of-one rookie card bearing the patch Skenes wore on his jersey sleeve during his Major League debut has a high bid of $550,000 as of this writing. That would mean with the auction house’s buyer’s premium (to be donated to the Los Angeles Fire Department and Red Cross), the new owner of the card would have to pony up $660,000 for one of the most hyped cards in the hobby.
And there’s still ample time for more bids, as the auction for the card on Fanatics Collect ends March 20.
At some point, Skenes could make $44 million per season if he continues his current trajectory. For now, though, the Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star pitcher will make a base salary of $800,000 this season, via Spotrac.
The Skenes MLB Debut Patch card already carries a price tag more than four times higher than the most expensive sale of one of his other cards. The previously high mark was set by the pitcher’s one-of-a-kind 2023 Bowman Draft Chrome Prospect autographed Superfractor card (PSA 7 card grade, 10 auto grade), which sold for $123,200 through Goldin Auctions last September.
Since the beginning of 2024, there have been 29 sales of individual cards for at least $500,000 documented by Card Ladder’s database. Only six cards in that period have sold publicly for more than where the Skenes card stands as of Wednesday morning:
- $1.37 million: 1916 M101-4 Sporting News Babe Ruth blank back rookie PSA 7 grade (Heritage)
- $1.2 million: 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection LeBron James rookie patch autograph numbered 18 of 23; Beckett 8.5 card grade, 10 auto grade (Goldin)
- $1.0 million: 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente PSA 9 (Heritage)
- $860,100: 2023-24 Panini Prizm Victor Wembanyama Nebula Choice Prizm, numbered 1 of 1, PSA 9 (Goldin)
- $701,500: 1997 Skybox E-X 2001 Allen Iverson Essential Credentials Now, numbered 2 of 3, PSA 5 (Heritage)
- $579,500: 1997-98 SkyBox E-X 2001 Kobe Bryant Essential Credentials Now, numbered 1 of 8, Beckett 9 (Goldin)
(Shohei Ohtani’s record card sale came in November, when his 2018 Bowman Chrome Rookie Autographs Orange Refractor numbered to 25 in a Pristine BGS 10 grade sold for $533,140.)
The Skenes MLB Debut Patch card will push the $500,000 card tally one tick higher when the auction ends next week. But how high will this card ultimately go? Here are some guesses from The Athletic’s staff:
Larry Holder
I’ve been on record saying this card could reach the $1 million price tag. Is that too low given we’re more than halfway there already? What makes me believe this could be the case is what Nick Bell, CEO of Fanatics Collect and Fanatics Live, told me just before the auction for the card opened:
“I can tell you obviously we get a lot of inbound from this, and the inbound that we’ve received for this card is not only from big collectors who typically kind of circle this sort of card, but also from a bunch of non-collectors who are really interested in this card for their first kind of major acquisition in the space.”
The interest from the non-traditional crowd could make this card more unique than the top dollar Honus Wagner or Mickey Mantle cards. Those cards may sell for more, but there’s only one Skenes Debut Patch card and the hype surrounding it may be unmatched for a modern card.
So I’m still bullish on a seven-figure sale. I’ll guess $1.1 million will be the final bid.
Caleb Mezzy
When the Skenes MLB Debut Patch landed in the hands of an 11-year-old kid who declined the offers from everyone from the Pirates and Livvy Dunne to Ken Goldin, I predicted a wholesome $2 million.
Here’s why: First, there has been a chase spurred by the Pirates’ bounty offer that Willy Wonka would applaud. Then there’s Skenes himself, who is arguably the most generational pitching talent since Stephen Strasburg, when the sports card industry was much smaller. His talent and timing are the next ingredient.
Skenes also had an interesting path coming from a college baseball powerhouse in LSU, where he transferred in as a catcher with the Air Force. His story, 100-plus MPH fastball, NL Rookie of the Year season, and All-Star game start, are another element. Then there’s the story of the 11-year old kid who pulled the card and was kept anonymous by Topps to protect his privacy.
But possibly the biggest element in this is Paul Skenes’ famous girlfriend. If he’s the face of Debut Patches, she’s the face of NIL for the NCAA. Her celebrity status has brought attention to their relationship and this card, helping to draw in eyeballs and likely bids.
Dan Uthman
Skenes has the look of a generational pitcher, and he could get even better than he’s shown in his professional career. But we’re talking about a lot of money at a time when some financial portfolios have taken a hit. I see the ceiling as $1.5 million.
Craig Custance
There’s just so much buzz about this card that I think it blows well past $1 million and ends at $1.7 million. But we’re still talking about a pitcher, which generally isn’t a premium position in collecting so I’m not ready to push it over $2 million.
Brooks Peck
I have to admit that I didn’t think that bidding on the card would be this high already, but it’s become clear that the interest in this card has transcended the usual collector circles thanks to all those factors Caleb laid out above. But how high can those elements push the bidding? Narrative aside, it’s hard to justify a seven-figure value on the card. Pitchers generally aren’t as valued as hitters in the hobby and they also carry a significant risk for long-term injury. While the MLB Debut Patch cards are incredibly unique items that are just starting to find their footing in the space, no other Debut Patch card has sold anywhere close to where the Skenes card is already at. But with all that said, you can no longer divorce the narrative from the card. It has probably become the most widely recognized and pop-culture relevant baseball card of the last 25-30 years. For that reason, I now think it’ll go over $1 million, but $2 million still seems like a bridge too far. So I’ll say it lands around $1.4 million.
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(Top photo: Joe Sargent/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Sports
Austin Reaves nearing return for Lakers as Luka Doncic remains out indefinitely with hamstring strain: report
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In early April, with just five games remaining in the regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers announced that star guard Luka Doncic would be sidelined at least until the NBA playoffs.
Doncic’s setback was a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, an MRI confirmed. The reigning NBA scoring champion sustained the injury during an April 2 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers also entered the playoffs without another key member of their backcourt, Austin Reaves.
The shorthanded Lakers upset the Houston Rockets in the opening game of their first-round Western Conference series Saturday. Ahead of Game 2 on Tuesday, the Lakers reportedly received a clearer update on the health of at least one of their injured stars.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves brings the ball up court against the Washington Wizards in Los Angeles on March 30, 2026. (Ryan Sun/AP)
Reaves, who was diagnosed with an oblique strain, appears to be progressing toward a return later in the first-round series if it extends to six or seven games. If the Lakers advance sooner, he could be on track to return for the Western Conference semifinals.
According to ESPN, Reaves recently returned to the practice court for 1-on-1 drills. The 27-year-old will still need to progress to 2-on-3 and then 5-on-5 work before he can be cleared for playoff action, but he appears significantly further along than Doncic, who remains out indefinitely.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball against the Orlando Magic at the Kia Center on March 21, 2026. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
Doncic is unlikely to play in the first round, regardless of the series length. ESPN footage showed him on the practice court on Tuesday, though the six-time All-Star was not doing high-intensity work.
2025-26 NBA PLAYOFF ODDS: SPREADS, LINES FOR FIRST-ROUND SERIES
The Rockets, despite being widely favored in the opening round playoffs series, also contended with key injuries. Kevin Durant missed Game 1 with a knee contusion. He was cleared to play in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. shoots the ball against the Lakers during Game 1 in the NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on April 18, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
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LeBron James scored 19 points, while Luke Kennard led Los Angeles with 27 in Saturday’s win.
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Watching junior right-hander Fabian Bravo of Sun Valley Poly High pitch for the first time, there was something strangely familiar about his windup.
When he turned his back to reveal he was wearing No. 32, everything made sense.
He had to be a fan of Sandy Koufax, the 1960s Hall of Fame left-hander for the Dodgers.
Two friends sitting next to me refused to believe it.
“No way,” one said.
“Kids today have never heard of Sandy Koufax,” another piped in.
Only after Bravo threw a three-hit shutout to beat North Hollywood 3-0 was my belief vindicated.
“I come into the back with my arms and it’s a little bit like a Sandy Koufax kind of thing,” he said. “I wear 32 too. He was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers and was good in the World Series.”
Koufax was perfect-game good on Sept. 9, 1965, against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium, striking out 14.
Bravo started learning about No. 32 when his parents would bring him to Dodger Stadium as a young boy.
“I always saw No. 32 retired on the wall,” he said. “Once I got to know him, I was able to see who he really was. I felt I could really copy him and get myself deeper into history.”
Bravo is no Koufax in terms of being a power pitcher. He’s 5 feet 10 and 140 pounds. Since last season, when he changed his windup to briefly emulate Koufax’s arms going above his head, he has a 12-3 record. This season he’s 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA.
“I saw his windup and he looked like he was calm and composed and I tried it. I felt more of a rhythm. I was able to calm down and pitch better,” he said.
After Bravo’s arms go up over his head in his windup, he also does a brief hesitation breathing in and out before throwing the ball toward home plate.
“My dad always taught me to breathe in, breathe out before I do anything,” he said.
Nowadays, teenagers seemingly don’t pay much attention to greats of the past, from old ballplayers to Hall of Fame coaches. Ask someone if they know John Wooden, kids today probably don’t. He did win 10 NCAA basketball titles coaching for UCLA. And who was Don Drysdale? Only a Dodger Hall of Fame pitcher alongside Koufax from Van Nuys High.
Bravo is fortunate he’s seen Dodger broadcasts mentioning Koufax at the stadium and on TV, motivating him to learn more, which led to seeing his windup on YouTube.
His older brother also wore No. 32, so no one was getting that uniform number other than a Bravo brother at Poly.
There is another Bravo set to arrive in the fall. Julian Bravo will be a freshman left-handed pitcher and wants No. 32.
“While I’m there he’s going to have to find a new number,” Fabian Bravo said.
Julian might also want to help his big brother gain a few pounds at the dinner table.
“My brother takes food from me,” he said.
As for recognizing Bravo’s Koufax connection, it was No. 32 that provided the clue. How many pitchers in the 1970s were choosing No. 32? A lot. And it’s great to see a 17-year-old in 2026 paying tribute to one of the greatest pitchers ever.
Emulating Koufax is hard, but forgetting him is unforgivable.
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Eli Manning retired in 2019 and missed out in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility in 2025. He was passed over again earlier this year but still fired back at a fan who claimed one of his contemporaries was the better quarterback.
On Tuesday, a social media user floated a theory about former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan, who now oversees football operations as the team’s president, last played in an NFL game in 2022. He announced his retirement in 2024, making him eligible for Hall of Fame consideration beginning in 2028.
“Matt Ryan was a better QB than Eli Manning… people just worship rings. Agree or nah,” the post read.
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New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning greets Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan after their game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 22, 2018. (Jason Getz/USA TODAY Sports)
Manning caught wind of the suggestion and weighed in, pointing to the two Super Bowl-winning teams he was part of during his standout run with the New York Giants.
“I will ponder this while I play with my rings…,” Manning wrote in a quote-tweet.
Ryan’s statistical production surpasses Manning’s, at least on paper. He was named NFL MVP in 2016, an honor Manning never earned. Ryan is also the most accomplished player in Falcons history and finished his career with more than 62,000 regular-season passing yards, compared with Manning’s 57,023.
NFC head coach Eli Manning leads a huddle during a practice session before the NFL Pro Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Both quarterbacks were selected to four Pro Bowls, but the key difference lies in championships. Manning won the Super Bowl in 2007 and 2011, while Ryan reached it once but fell short. Manning threw for a single season career-best 4,933 during the run leading up to the second Super Bowl title.
Ryan threw for 284 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions to help the Falcons build a 25-point lead in the championship game — a matchup remembered for the New England Patriots engineering the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Jan. 2, 2022. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)
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The Falcons have reached the Super Bowl twice in franchise history, first in 1998, but the team is still chasing its first elusive championship.
The Giants marked their 100th season in 2024, winning four Super Bowls over the franchise’s century-long history.
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Sun Valley Poly High’s Fabian Bravo shows flashes of Koufax dominance