A patch marks the spot — for players debuting in Major League Baseball

NEW YORK — Players making their big league debuts will be especially marked this season.

Major League Baseball announced before Thursday's openers that players making their first appearances will wear debut patches on their jerseys. The patch will appear on different places of a sleeve, depending on the team and any anniversary of sponsor patches.

After a player appears in his first game, the patch will be authenticated and placed on a Topps baseball card as part of an agreement reached by MLB and the business wing of the players' association with Fanatics Collectibles, a division of Fanatics that acquired the trading card company Topps last year.

One card with the patch will be available for each player.

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