Paul Skenes gives verdict on Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible

Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes gave his take on the latest Mission: Impossible movie, The Final Reckoning, approving it with a glowing review.

The 2024 Rookie of the Year passed judgment on Tom Cruise’s latest action-packed chapter in the film franchise. Skenes was among the moviegoers who saw the film, declaring:

“I had the opportunity to watch this last week… wow that was a lot of fun!”

Paul Skenes gives verdict on Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning - Source: IG

Paul Skenes’ comments resonate with early reviews of The Final Reckoning. With Skenes giving the sequel to 2023’s first installment of Final Reckoning a thumbs up, other fans and moviegoers may be compelled to check out the film.

Paul Skenes to headline Topps trading cards' flagship set

Fans and collectors will be eagerly awaiting Skenes' Fanatics Blaster card - Source: Imagn

Paul Skenes is among the big names that will headline Topps’ flagship set, Series 2. The 2025 edition is expected to hit the market on June 11, and fans are already salivating at the idea of the “Fanatics Blasters” inserts in the set.

Sports apparel giant Fanatics, which owns Topps, runs a special promotion through Topps trading cards, allowing fans to redeem special Fanatics Blasters cards for exclusive autographed paraphernalia.

This year’s set has plenty of star power with Paul Skenes leading the signed merchandise hunt. Other big names include Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuña Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Piazza, Fernando Tatis Jr., Trea Turner, and Juan Soto, among other MLB stars.

Each team will be represented by a major star from the past or present.

According to Baseball America, fans can expect to find one of the Fanatics Blasters cards per 75 boxes. That’s a major reduction in the odds of finding one, as previous editions included a Fanatics Blaster card per 251 boxes.

Lucky fans will be able to redeem the Fanatics Blaster cards for exclusive merchandise, though there is a healthy secondary market for such cards.

As such, Pirates fans will be looking to track down Skenes’ Fanatics Blaster cards to get their hands on the exclusive items from the team’s ace.

Other highlights in the set include Roki Sasaki’s official rookie card and Juan Soto’s first card as a member of the New York Mets. Fans are encouraged to check out Topps’ website for more information on the cards and preorder instructions.

About the author

Nestor is an NHL and MLB writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience. Growing up in Toronto, he became an avid Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan, but also admires the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Dodgers for their dominance in the 80s. Holding an Economics and Education major, Nestor’s passion for writing and sporting events led him to take up reporting about the sport professionally.

Nestor credits the Leafs’ playoff runs in the early '90s as having a lasting impact on him. His favorite players are Doug Gilmour and Mike Bossy, as he feels they were tough, talented leaders, while Pat Burns is his favorite coach of all time for always preaching a fast-paced game.

Growing up in Canada, it was natural for Nestor to become interested in ice hockey and he played Minor Hockey as a teenager, which has given him a unique perspective on the sport. Nestor has mastered the art of how to best present facts and he also has a knack for knowing which sources can be trusted, and which can't for stories.

When he is not writing about Canada’s national passion, Nestor enjoys running and hiking.

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra

Paul Skenes gives verdict on Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Paul Skenes to headline Topps trading cards' flagship set