Players making their big league débuts will have something extra on their uniforms to mark the occasion in 2023.
Fanatics Collectibles and Topps announced the MLB Debut Patches program this morning, “the first-ever memorabilia made in partnership with a professional sports league specifically for inclusion on trading cards.”
All players getting their first taste of the Majors this season will have this relatively small patch placed on their jersey sleeves. After the game in which the player has seen his first in-game action, the patch will be removed and placed directly onto their rookie card in a future Topps trading card set.
“Debut Patches represent one of the first steps that Fanatics Collectibles is taking to bring the players and leagues closer to the products, and ultimately fans,” said Mike Mahan, CEO of Fanatics Collectibles, in the press release. “As a trusted partner of the league and players association, we are honoured to partner closely with MLB and MLB Players Inc., to create this innovative, first-of-its-kind program, and are committed to continue developing unique experiences for all fans and collectors.”
“A Major League player’s début day is a cause for great celebration and the culmination of many years of hard work,” added Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. “Topps has been a great partner to Baseball for decades, and I think this particular initiative is crucial to the development of deeper fan engagement.”
The MLB Debut Patches will themselves make their MLB début in games played today, Opening Day 2023. They will continue to be worn by rookies making their respective in-game Major League débuts throughout the 2023 regular season.
More on what’s new in MLB logos and uniforms for the 2023 season here
UPDATE Nov 13/23 — Here it finally is, the MLB Debut patch Topps trading card:
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