Pete Crow-Armstrong’s rise has now hit the collectibles market in a big way.
The Cubs center fielder’s Topps Rookie Debut Patch autographed card sold for $1.098 million at a Goldin auction last Tuesday, making him just the 37th professional athlete in history to have a trading card go for seven figures. Only Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has brought in more for a Rookie Debut Patch card in an open auction, with his selling for $1.11 million.
Topps launched the Rookie Debut Patch line in 2023, and the concept is simple but powerful: each card includes a jersey patch worn by a player in his MLB debut along with an autograph. Since every patch is one-of-one game-worn memorabilia, the cards have become some of the most sought-after items in the hobby.
What makes Crow-Armstrong’s sale even more striking is how far the card has traveled in value. According to The Athletic’s Larry Holder, it had originally been sold in a private deal in 2024 for $19,000. Since then, Crow-Armstrong’s breakout has sent the price soaring, capped by an MVP campaign in which he became the 7th player in MLB history to post more than 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season.
For Cubs fans, the card sale is just another marker of how high Crow-Armstrong has climbed. His 2026 season is already locked in as one of the best North Side campaigns in recent memory, and although he has not officially won yet, he will almost certainly become just the fifth Cub in the last 60 years to win the National League MVP award.
The timing also worked out perfectly for the seller, who chose to cash in while Crow-Armstrong is sitting at the top of the sport. At 24, he still has plenty of runway left, though as always in baseball, nothing is guaranteed.
Topps’ next batch of Rookie Debut Patch cards for MLB’s 2026 rookies is expected to arrive in November in the Topps Chrome Update Series. Pedro Ramirez, BJ Murray, James Triantos, and Riley Martin are among the players set to have cards in the set. While none may be on a path to a million-dollar auction, even the lower-end Rookie Debut patches usually sell for more than $1,000 because of their scarcity.
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