PHOTO BY HARRISON BARDEN/PITTSBURGH PIRATES

PNC Park has been packed with Pirates fans eager to see rookie pitcher Paul Skenes strike out the league’s top batters. Now, card collectors are grasping at the chance to get their hands on one of his limited baseball cards. With only two months in the MLB, his trading cards are some of the most sought-after on the scene.

According to Professional Sports Authenticator, when it comes to active pitchers, Skenes is the most in-demand. He’s ranked 17th among all active players for trading card submissions this season.

Jeff Patton, owner of Baseball Card Castle in Cranberry, says there’s never been a demand for a Pirates player like Skenes before. “Paul Skenes comes to Pittsburgh already with momentum because he’s pitching in the College World Series,” Patton says, “He’s huge. He throws 100 miles an hour.”

The only Pirates players that have come close to Skenes in the card market are Barry Bonds in 1986 and Andrew McCutchen in 2009, according to Patton.

Despite Skenes having cards with LSU and Team USA, the 2023 Bowman Draft cards stand out because they’re the first with the pitcher wearing a Pirates uniform. Last month, Goldin auctioned a 2023 Bowman Draft Chrome Prospect Autographs SuperFactor Paul Skenes Signed Rookie Card 1/1 for $82,520. A different pair of Bowman Draft editions sold for more than $14,000 according to PSA.

“They make one-of-ones where they actually will have the same card but they’ll specially mark,” says Patton, “The regular paper card is like $25.” Due to Skenes’ rookie status, there are only a few big-league Skenes cards. Patton has sold various Paul Skenes cards with prices ranging from $6 to $500.

In recent years, sports card collecting has seen a growth. Patton says he saw it begin in 2017 with a new line-up of great young athletes such as Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. During COVID, card collectors found time to expand their collections.

With 78 strikeouts and a low number of walks, Skenes has been tapped for the All-Star team, along with outfielder Bryan Reynolds. Skenes was also a social media sensation when he pitched against Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani, obtaining millions of views across multiple social media platforms.

Jilian Musser’s reporting is supported by the Pittsburgh Media Partnership.