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One-of-a-kind Paul Skenes rookie card found by 11-year-old collector

By Madeline Bartos

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    PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — An 11-year-old collector from California found the one-of-a-kind Paul Skenes baseball card that the Pirates have been looking for in exchange for 30 years worth of season tickets behind home plate.

Fans have been frantically searching for the 1/1 Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card ever since the Pirates announced that they’d trade the finder season tickets, a meet and greet with Skenes and autographed jerseys. Paul Skenes’ girlfriend, LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, also offered a seat in her suite during a game.

Topps announced on Tuesday that the card had been pulled by an 11-year-old collector from Los Angeles, calling it breaking news. It’s unclear if the collector will take the Pirates’ deal or wait to see how much the card becomes worth in the future.

The Pirates reiterated their proposition on social media, writing, “Our offer still stands… you know where to find us.”

The card was in a pack of 2024 Topps Chrome Update, which dropped on Nov. 13. After the Pirates put their deal on the table, Pittsburgh-area trading card stores said they could hardly keep up with the demand.

Skenes, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft out of LSU, made his MLB debut in May, posting the lowest ERA in the league. In his rookie season, Skenes went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA, 170 strikeouts and a 0.95 WHIP in 23 starts.

It’s not the only Paul Skenes card that’s been making headlines. Champ Stutts went viral for his reaction to finding a different rare Skenes card. His family posted a video on TikTok, saying, “Excited is an understatement.”

“Skenes! Skenes! One of one, one of one, literally one of one. One of one. See? Guys, guys, guys!” Champ says while hyperventilating. “I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.”

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