$100K for a Pokémon Bat Knob? Evan Longoria’s Card Sets the Hobby Ablaze

• Posted: March 27, 2025, 3:03 am
• in Sports Card News
• by bionic

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Evan Longoria isn’t new to signing baseball cards—he has over a thousand on the books. But the one he teased this week? That one sparked an all-out frenzy.
The card in question, headed for the 2025 Topps Tier One Baseball set, features something the hobby hasn’t quite seen before: a game-used bat knob embedded into the card with Charizard—yes, the iconic Pokémon—blazing across the end of the lumber.

This unexpected mashup of Pokémon and MLB instantly lit up collecting circles, sending both sports and TCG communities into overdrive. The timing couldn’t have been better, with Pokémon card mania still running hot and baseball collectors gearing up for a strong season. This card bridged two passionate worlds—and collectors took notice fast.
One of the first to go all-in was Alan Narz, the man behind Big League Cards in Casselberry, Florida. He didn’t just admire the card—he put up a $100,000 bounty to get it.
“We’re all about being the top spot for sports and Pokémon,” Narz said. “Now this card shows up that’s basically the perfect blend of both? We need it.”
Narz, a longtime veteran in the card game, believes this might be the first licensed MLB card to feature any kind of Pokémon character. Topps has dabbled in Pokémon under the official brand before, but this crossover—intentionally or not—is a first of its kind.

Bat knob cards already carry major collector appeal. They’re the bottom chunk of a bat, sawed off and set into a thick relic card. Players from Babe Ruth to current stars have gotten the treatment. But throw in a Charizard graphic? That’s a new level of heat.

“When Topps works their magic on a card, it hits different,” Narz said.
And he wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Shortly after the card was posted on social media, collectors spotted a Longoria game-used bat with the same Charizard sticker on the knob selling for under $1,000 on eBay. Enter Doug Caskey, co-founder of breaking heavyweight Mojobreak.
Caskey jumped at the chance and grabbed the bat for $700. His post showing off the new pickup got plenty of traction—and not just because it was a good deal.
“We’ve got a big Pokémon following and being from the Bay Area, where Longoria played for years, it felt like the right move,” Caskey said.
Caskey’s connection to Longoria runs deep. When Mojobreak launched back in 2010, Longoria’s elusive 2006 Bowman Chrome Superfractor was the card everyone was chasing. It’s never been pulled publicly—something that still fuels hobby legends to this day.

“We were always chasing that Longoria Superfractor,” Caskey said. “And it still hasn’t shown up. It became a thing with us.”

As for the Charizard bat knob card? He’s definitely still hoping to track it down once Tier One drops.

“It’s the thrill of the chase,” he said. “This card—it’s something else. Hunting that down? That’s what the hobby is all about.”

While nobody knows exactly where the card will end up, one thing’s clear—it’s not just cardboard. It’s a cultural moment. Whether it winds up behind a shop counter in Florida or inside a Bay Area display case, this one’s already a legend in the making.