Auctions
Paul Skenes, Konnor Griffin cards soar as Battlin’ Buccos stay hot
It seems so long ago, but in the 1970s, the Pittsburgh Pirates were among baseball’s elite teams. The likes of Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Al Oliver and Dave Parker ensured the “Battlin’ Buccos” were annual contenders, giving Pittsburgh six divisional titles, four NL Championship Series appearances, two NL titles and two World Series championships (1971 and 1979) in a colorful decade.
Then … hard times. A 10-year playoff drought began in 1980. An even longer drought began in 1993. In fact, from ’93 all the way to 2012, the once-swashbuckling Pirates had 20 straight losing seasons—an MLB record. And after a brief period of success (playoff appearances from 2013–2015), they digressed. Over the past 10 years, they’ve had nine losing seasons.
But wait: What’s happening in Pittsburgh now?
The old franchise is energized. Pittsburgh is looking like the year’s feel-good story—not just for a long-suffering fan base, but for untold numbers of baseball aficionados who love a good underdog angle.
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As a result, the Pirates have become a hot-button team for collectors drawn to can’t-miss phenoms. Pittsburgh has multiple examples in 2026, with third-year ace Paul Skenes and rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin at the head of the class. Young pitchers Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler line up behind Skenes, and the “old man” among their hitting stars, 27-year-old Oneil Cruz, turned heads with nine homers and nearly 30 RBIs before the calendar turned to May.
Let’s focus on the dynamic duo of Skenes and Griffin.
Last time out in this space, we went deep on Griffin, reporting on seven rookie cards that sold for prices between $10,000 and $16,000 in eBay auctions. Multiple others sold for two to three times higher in Buy It Now transactions.
Since then, Griffin has heated up, quickly adapting to big-league pitching. He hit his first two MLB homers last week and is batting .262 in 29 games while piling up stolen bases (his seven swipes for the month put him on a pace for 40-plus bags).
All the while, collectors keep flocking to Griffin items. A signed Orange Refractor variation of his 2024 Bowman Chrome drew 42 bids and sold for $13,100. It was from an edition of 25 and had been graded PSA 10.
A Gold Shimmer Refractor of the same card rose to $10,385 on 54 bids. A signed 2025 Bowman Chrome Prospect Red Refractor, one of only five made, sold for $9,100 on 78 bids.
Griffin-signed baseballs are far more affordable. Three authenticated examples sold for prices of $275 on 17 bids, $218 on 21 bids, and $211 on 37 bids. Two of those were stamped “Futures Game” and Griffin inked “Starting SS” under his name.
As for Skenes, he had a head start in the hobby—and quickly made headlines when his 2024 #1/1 Topps MLB Debut signed patch card sold for $1.1 million. Given his career trajectory, that won’t be his only seven-figure card. Since bursting onto the scene in 2024, Skenes has maintained a minuscule ERA (2.01 through late April) while posting a 25-14 record.
By now, everything with Skenes’ name on it is appealing to collectors. Examples of recent prices paid for primo cards on eBay:
• $11,878 on 39 bids for a 2023 signed Bowman Chrome Draft Black Refractor marked #31/75 and graded PSA 10.
• $10,101 on 63 bids for an Orange Wave variation of his 2023 Bowman Chrome Prospect card graded PSA 10 and marked #25/25.
• $8,910 on 25 bids for an ungraded Silver Topps Dynasty signed patch card marked #1/5.
Some Skenes rarities, however, are sneaking through with minimal bidding. These three auction sales alone prove you can find gems without competing bidders driving high prices even higher:
• $10,000 on two bids for a 2024 Topps Dynasty autographed patch card marked #2/10 and graded PSA 9.
• $5,889 on two bids for a 2024 Topps Chrome Cosmic “Planetary Pursuit” Pluto rookie card graded PSA 10.
• $5,000 on one bid for an ungraded 2025 Panini Flawless Master Craft #1/1 with three laundry-tag swatches from his uniform.
Signed baseballs? Skenes-penned examples with authentication have been selling for anywhere from $225 to $650. To put that in perspective, you can find signed baseballs from Hall of Fame hurlers like Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry and Steve Carlton for lower prices.
