Why MLB rookies are wearing new Debut Patches and why card collectors could clamor for them

June 05, 2024

Major League Baseball and Fanatics Collectibles unveiled Thursday “Debut Patches” to be worn by rookies making their MLB debut this season. After a player appears in his first game, the patch will go on his rookie card in a future Topps set. Here’s what you need to know:

The partnership marks the first-ever memorabilia deal made with a professional sports league specifically for inclusion on trading cards, Fanatics said. Fanatics owns Topps after buying the classic trading card company in early 2022.
Following a rookie’s debut major-league game, the patch will be removed, secured and authenticated by the MLB Authentication Program for inclusion in an upcoming Topps product.
The patch says “MLB Debut” and features the MLB logo. It will appear on jerseys starting on Opening Day and be used throughout the 2023 season as players make their MLB debuts.

Made for the moment. We've partnered to create the ultimate rookie card!

Starting today, every player making their @MLB debut will wear an "MLB Debut" patch on their uniform for their first game. That patch will then be used to create the ultimate 1/1 rookie card! pic.twitter.com/4Vwoynb4YX

— Topps (@Topps) March 30, 2023

What they’re saying

“For a player, there is no bigger moment than the first time they step onto a field for their major-league debut,” MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said in a statement. “The Debut Patch is one way to capture the timeless nature of this moment and provide fans the opportunity to be part of it by collecting a player-worn item.”

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Will this be appealing to collectors?

One-hundred percent. And look, I’m not a relic guy. A piece of someone’s jersey is just “meh” to me as a collector (although there are plenty of people who love them). But now you’re talking about a very specific, unique piece of memorabilia from a very specific moment in a future star’s career — that is massive.

This is brilliant. It reminds me of that year Topps inserted 1952 cards in the line and you had a chance to find a Mantle rookie. They’ve upped the “treasure hunt”/golden ticket element here. — Di Fino

Who will be the big names?

Definitely Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, but if I understand this correctly, any player who makes his debut this year will get this patch and it will go into an upcoming Topps set. So Grayson Rodriguez, Kodai Senga, Oscar Colas, Elly De La Cruz, Jordan Walker — these are all patches that’ll fall into the set. And if Benny Montgomery somehow makes his debut this season, expect fireworks — that man has figured out how to win card-collecting fans. — Di Fino

The new debut patches (that are stick-one) players will wear on the non-ad side of their jersey sleeve for their MLB debut. No Reds will make their debut today pic.twitter.com/LTltUSMMjK

— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) March 30, 2023

Where the debut patches fit into the memorabilia market

There will be card collectors and card speculators eager to pay a tidy sum for a debut patch card of highly touted prospects such like Rodriguez, who likely will make his first MLB appearance this season for the Baltimore Orioles.

Question is, outside of the simple joy of collecting, will that patch card have long-term value? That is the inherent risk of speculation — the player’s performance and health dictate the market value of their collectibles. But speculation is a big part of the collectibles and card business, and the manufacturers and sports leagues (and their player unions) are keenly aware of that.

The white-hot sports collectibles market has been surging for years and went into overdrive after the pandemic began. Lots of attention (and cash) has been on big-ticket vintage and modern trading cards selling for millions of dollars, and game-used items such as jerseys, bats, shoes, etc.

So-called relic cards — those embedded with a swatch of uniform or some other element that makes them rare and sought-after — are not new, and within the hobby there’s an entire galaxy of such cards. The debut patch cards are part of that. What is new is that Topps, under Fanatics ownership since being bought for $500 million last year, now has a memorabilia deal directly with baseball for an on-field, game-worn item from a player’s debut.

These cards will be yet another example of the artificial scarcity that drives sales — rookie/debut cards from future great players have always had cachet with collectors and investors, which is why someone paid an industry-record $12.6 million for Mickey Mantle’s iconic 1952 Topps debut card last year.

How much would they sell for? Topps hasn’t disclosed what specific set these patch cards will be part of. The resale value of one-of-one cards among collectors/investors is where the eye-popping dollars trade hands. It could be under $100 for a non-star player, to thousands or more for someone that emerges as an All-Star or future Cooperstown inductee. — Shea

What it means for Fanatics

The deal reflects the growing influence of Fanatics as one of the chief players in the sports business space. Oft-criticized for the quality of its retail apparel, the company has hundreds of pro and college licenses for clothes and merchandise, and handles e-commerce for many teams, leagues, and colleges. It’s also now the NHL’s official jersey maker and has plans to get into sports gambling and other areas. So, this sort of uniform patch deal, or clever variations of it, may show up with other Topps/Fanatics-licensed products. In a couple of years, the company will re-assume the trading card licenses for the NBA and NFL that are currently with Panini America. — Shea

Required reading

(Photo: Courtesy of Fanatics)

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