WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Colton Gordon has almost everything from the day he became a big leaguer.
The jersey is folded and saved. The baseball from his first strikeout is secured. The lineup card from Houston’s 4–3 win over Kansas City at Daikin Park is accounted for.
What he doesn’t have is the one piece that left the field that night.
Now, he wants it back.
The Hunt Begins
Gordon took to Instagram on Jan. 21 with a public request: help him track down his Topps Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card.
“Please let me know if you pull my debut patch card!” Gordon wrote. “I am offering a solid trade for the card! Please reach out if you find it and will work on details of trade.”
More than a month later, the card has yet to surface.
“Yeah, it still has yet to be pulled from my knowledge, and I absolutely want it back,” Gordon said at Astros spring training.
The card could be anywhere—sealed inside a pack at a retail store, sitting on a hobby shop shelf, or waiting to be redeemed by a collector who hasn’t yet realized what they have.
How the Debut Patch Program Works
Since 2023, Topps has partnered with MLB to create one-of-a-kind debut patch cards. Players wear a special patch on their sleeve during their first big-league game. Afterward, the patch is removed, authenticated, and sent to Topps, where it is embedded into a trading card and signed by the player.
The card is inserted into Topps Chrome Baseball Update Series products each November, but not directly. Collectors must first find a redemption card, submit it to Topps, and wait for the physical patch autograph card to be shipped.
Until that redemption is claimed, the card technically remains unissued.
Gordon still has the jersey—minus the patch—and the ball from his first strikeout, which came against Jonathan India. The patch card would complete the set from his debut, when he threw 4⅓ innings in the victory.
What’s Gordon Offering?
He’s open to making it worth someone’s while: autographs, game tickets, a meet-and-greet, or a ballpark experience.
“I definitely am looking forward to making a fair trade with somebody,” Gordon said. “Hopefully I can make someone’s dream come true to see a game or have some sort of experience.”
Friends and former teammates have already started joking about what the return package might look like.
“The trade package better be great,” Gordon said with a laugh.
The Skenes Effect
Interest in debut patch cards surged after Paul Skenes’ card sold for $1.11 million through Fanatics, one of the highest prices ever paid for a baseball card.
The Pittsburgh Pirates made an aggressive offer to keep the card out of auction, including decades of season tickets and private experiences at PNC Park. The family declined and chose the auction route instead.
Gordon is not expecting a seven-figure outcome, but the Skenes saga underscored how coveted these debut patches have become.
Staying Focused
For now, Gordon’s priority remains earning his place on Houston’s pitching staff. The left-hander is competing for a role as the Astros evaluate rotation depth and bullpen options this spring.
Still, if someone pulls a redemption card bearing his name, he hopes they’ll reach out.
“I hopefully can make a deal to make both parties happy,” Gordon said. “I can have my patch, and they can walk away with an experience.”
Anyone who locates the card can contact Gordon through his Instagram account or reach out to the Astros organization directly.