Pirates ace Paul Skenes' 1-of-1 Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card sold for $1.11 million at auction via Fanatics Collect early Friday morning, one of the highest prices paid for a baseball card. The winning bidder was Dick's Sporting Goods.

According to Topps, only five baseball cards have sold for more. A Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps card sold for $12.6 million in 2022, setting the all-time record for any sports item, be it card or memorabilia. Among active players, only Angels outfielder Mike Trout has had a card go for more than Skenes’ debut card. A 1-of-1 Trout rookie card sold for $3.9 million in 2020.

All of Fanatics Collects’ proceeds from Skenes card auction will be donated directly to Los Angeles fire relief funds, helping victims affected by the wildfires that swept through Southern California in January.

The Skenes card features a patch worn by the big right-hander during his highly anticipated MLB debut on May 11, 2024, part of a Topps initiative launched in 2023. Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, managed to exceed expectations in his first season, winning National League Rookie of the Year honors after posting a 1.96 ERA with 170 strikeouts over 133 innings. He also started the All-Star Game and was an NL Cy Young Award finalist.

The hype surrounding Skenes sparked a fervent chase among collectors to find the pitcher’s one-of-a-kind rookie card. It was eventually pulled by an 11-year-old Dodgers fan from Los Angeles on Christmas morning.

The Pirates had offered a bounty to the person who found the Skenes card. The team's offer in exchange for the card included two Pirates season tickets behind home plate for the next 30 years, a softball game for 30 at PNC Park with coaching from Pirates alumni, a meet-and-greet with Skenes, two Skenes autographed jerseys and more. Skenes’ girlfriend Livvy Dunne, an LSU gymnast and social media influencer, also said that the fan who found the card could sit in her suite for a Pirates game this season if they took the team’s deal.

But the family, who has chosen to remain anonymous throughout the process, turned down the offer, opting instead to sell the card at auction.