Topps has given Detroit Tigers fans a limited opportunity to collect Tarik Skubal’s latest piece of franchise history.
The company released 2026 MLB Topps NOW Card No. 498 after Skubal recorded the 1,000th strikeout of his major-league career. The card costs $8.99 and is scheduled to remain available only through July 31, with the ordering window closing one day after it opened.
It depicts the Comerica Park scoreboard displaying “1,000 career strikeouts” as Skubal walks across the outfield. That makes the card more than a standard action shot: It preserves the stadium’s reaction to one of the defining achievements of Skubal’s Tigers tenure.
Collectors can purchase one card for $8.99, five for $34.99, 10 for $59.99 or 20 for $99.99. Topps says orders will ship seven to 10 business days after the sales window expires.
Tarik Skubal Reached 1,000 Strikeouts Faster Than Any Tigers Pitcher
Skubal entered Detroit’s July 29 game against the Baltimore Orioles with 999 career strikeouts. He did not make the crowd wait long.
The left-hander struck out Orioles leadoff hitter Taylor Ward with a changeup, prompting a standing ovation at Comerica Park. Skubal removed his cap and acknowledged the crowd after becoming the 17th pitcher to record 1,000 strikeouts in a Tigers uniform.
More significantly, Skubal reached the mark in 857 innings. That broke Max Scherzer’s franchise record of 944 2/3 innings as the fastest Tigers pitcher to 1,000 strikeouts.
Skubal was also the fifth-fastest left-handed pitcher in MLB history to reach the milestone, behind Aroldis Chapman, Billy Wagner, Robbie Ray and Blake Snell. The Tigers’ 1,000-strikeout club includes Justin Verlander, Mickey Lolich, Jack Morris, Hal Newhouser and Jim Bunning.
“Some of these accomplishments just hit different,” Skubal said afterward, according to MLB.com’s Jason Beck.
The moment carried additional emotion because it came immediately before the trade deadline. Skubal is eligible for free agency after the season, and his name has remained prominent in trade discussions as Detroit considers whether to sell.
Skubal’s Topps NOW Card Includes Rare Parallels
Every purchase guarantees an open-edition base card unless Topps replaces it with a parallel or another non-base version.
The available foil parallels are:
- Gold numbered to 50
- Orange numbered to 25
- Black numbered to 10
- Red numbered to five
- A one-of-one FoilFractor
Topps is also inserting Tarik Skubal image-variation short prints, although the company does not disclose the odds in advance. The chances of receiving any non-base card depend upon the final number ordered.
Large print runs could unlock another level of chase cards. According to the product description, a print run of at least 50,000 would activate Chrome parallels numbered to 99, 50 and lower. Higher sales thresholds could produce additional Chrome cards, Opal Chrome parallels and, at 500,000 copies, a one-of-one White OpalFractor Chrome.
Topps will not reveal the final print run until the ordering period ends. That uncertainty is part of the Topps NOW format: The cards are printed to demand, but the numbered parallels and short prints create scarcity within the larger release.
Tigers’ Collapse Added a Complicated Backdrop to Skubal’s Moment
Skubal remained one of Detroit’s few constants during a turbulent 2026 season. Following the Baltimore start, he owned a 7-5 record and 2.79 ERA, continuing to perform like a top-of-the-rotation starter despite the uncertainty surrounding his future.
He allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings against the Orioles, striking out six and leaving with Detroit ahead by six runs. The bullpen could not finish the job. Baltimore erased a seven-run deficit and won 10-9 in 12 innings, dropping the Tigers to 51-58.
That loss illustrated why Skubal’s status matters so much to Tigers fans. Detroit can resemble a contender when its ace is controlling a game, but the roster has not consistently converted those starts into wins. The Tigers stood several games outside an American League wild-card position as the deadline approached, forcing the front office to weigh a fading playoff chase against the return Skubal could command.
Whether the July 29 appearance becomes Skubal’s final home start for Detroit remains unresolved. The Tigers began a West Coast trip afterward and were not scheduled to return to Comerica Park until August 11 — more than a week after the August 3 trade deadline.
That possibility gives Card 498 an importance beyond its parallel checklist. It captures a historic strikeout, an appreciative Tigers crowd and perhaps one of the final signature moments of Skubal’s Detroit career.
Topps Releases Tarik Skubal Card After Historic Tigers Milestone