Sunday, March 01

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Astros pitcher Colton Gordon needs your help, and he’s willing to make it worth your while.

Gordon hopes to acquire his Topps Rookie Debut Patch Autograph baseball card for his own keeping, putting out a message on his Instagram account on Jan. 21 asking for an assist.

“Please let me know if you pull my debut patch card! I am offering a solid trade for the card! Please reach out if you find it and will work on details of trade.”

Gordon -- the 27-year-old left-hander who made his Major League debut on May 14, 2025, by throwing 4 1/3 innings against the Royals at Daikin Park -- said his message received tons of responses, but the card remains in circulation. He’s willing to trade an autograph, tickets, a meet-and-greet or something else.

“I definitely am looking forward to making a fair trade with somebody,” he said. “I know that someone has to agree to it, and so hopefully I can make someone's dream come true to see a game, or have some sort of experience, to really take something special away.”

As part of a Topps initiative launched in 2023, when players make their Major League debut, they wear a patch on their sleeve during the game signifying the occasion. The patch is removed after the game, sent to Topps and inserted into a trading card. The player then signs the card, which is inserted into the Topps Chrome Baseball Update Series each November.

Gordon’s patch card is technically in possession of Topps, but a random card packet contains a redemption voucher for the actual card. The collector will ship the redemption voucher to Topps and receive the card in exchange. The box containing the voucher could be anywhere -- a big-box store, a collector’s shop or waiting to be sold online at Topps. It might even be in the hands of someone who hasn’t opened the box yet.

“Yeah, it still has yet to be pulled from my knowledge, and I absolutely want it back,” Gordon said.

The debut patch card of Pirates ace Paul Skenes sold for $1.11 million at auction via Fanatics Collect last year, one of the highest prices paid for a baseball card. The winning bidder was Dick's Sporting Goods. It was pulled by an 11-year-old Dodgers fan from Los Angeles.

The Pirates’ offer in exchange for the card included two season tickets behind home plate for the next 30 years, a softball game for 30 at PNC Park with coaching from Pirates alumni, a meet-and-greet with Skenes, two Skenes autographed jerseys and more. The family chose to put it up for auction.

Gordon’s card won’t fetch anywhere close to that amount, but the pitcher will do what he can to get it back.

“I hopefully can make a deal to make both parties happy and I can have my patch, and they can walk away with an experience or some sort of memory that will bring them closer to baseball, or at least enjoy it,” he said.

Gordon kept the jersey he wore during his Major League debut, sans the patch. He also has the baseball from his first career strikeout, against Jonathan India, and the lineup card from Houston’s 4-3 win. The patch would round out a nice collection from his debut game.

“I have some friends and some family members, some college guys I've played with, that are like, ‘Oh, the trade package better be great,’ just joking around,” he said. “I think it’d be a super cool thing.”

Cam Smith became the second Astros player to have his number retired by his high school within the past month when his No. 24 was retired Friday by Palm Beach Central High School, which is less than 12 miles from Houston’s Spring Training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Smith, a shortstop in high school who played third base at Florida State and in the Minor Leagues with the Cubs before debuting as a right fielder with Houston last year, threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to his alma mater’s game. He’s the second Astros player from Palm Beach Central to have his number retired, joining former Houston pitcher Brad Peacock.

Brice Matthews -- the Astros’ No. 1 prospect following the 2025 season -- had his No. 3 jersey number retired by Atascocita High School in suburban Houston on Jan. 31. He was a two-sport star at the school and attended the University of Nebraska. The Astros took him in the first round of the MLB Draft in 2023.

The Astros will host the BRUCE BOLT College Classic benefiting the Astros Foundation at Daikin Park from Feb. 27-March 1, 2026. The 26th annual three-day, six-team, nine-game tournament features four teams that played in the 2025 Regionals, including SEC champion Texas, national runner-up Coastal Carolina, AAC champion UTSA and perennial powerhouse Ole Miss. Joining that quartet will be Baylor and Ohio State. All nine games will be televised live on Space City Home Network, and will be available on the SCHN+ app, along with being streamed on Astros.com and on the Astros' X, Facebook and Youtube channels. For more information and to purchase tickets, fans can visit astros.com/collegeclassic.

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