Brandon Brown
The Pittsburgh Pirates promoted right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, to make his big league debut, the team announced Wednesday. He will make his first start on Saturday against the Cubs. It will be the most anticipated debut by a former college star since Stephen Strasburg in 2010.
Skenes has breezed through minor league competition since turning pro. Over 27 1/3 innings with Triple-A Indianapolis this year, Skenes recorded 45 strikeouts and a 0.99 ERA, allowing just one home run.
Skenes, 21, won a national championship with LSU in 2023 after transferring from Air Force. He quickly became a household name to fans of the sport, a towering 6-foot-2, mustachioed, half-sized presence. LSU Power Couple with Olivia Dunne.
CBS Sports ranked Skenes as the best pitcher among the minors entering the season.
Here’s what you need to know about Skenes’ journey.
Fast climbs nothing new for Skenes
It never took long for Skenes to get used to whatever situation he found himself in. He didn’t even start his first game as a pitcher until his junior year at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, California. Before that, he played catcher, first base and third base in the same prep program that produced the likes of Nolan Arenado and Matt Chapman.
In that first season pitch, Skenes posted a 0.67 ERA and earned first-team all-league, all-county, all-conference and all-state honors. His senior year was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although he was losing weight for some appearances.
The pandemic cut short what could have been a prolific season for Skenes, with national acclaim, hype and big college offers sure to follow. Instead, Skenes honored a longtime commitment to the Air Force and accepted an appointment to the Class of 2024.
Blooming into a two-way star
The Air Force coaching staff saw Skenes’ potential as a do-it-all star from the moment he stepped on campus. He started all 48 games as a freshman — though none as a pitcher — with 28 starts as a designated hitter, 18 as a catcher and two as a first baseman.
Not that the Air Force hasn’t worked its hand. He also made 18 appearances as a relief pitcher, often serving as a shortstop for the Falcons. He was the only player at the Division I level to record double-digit saves (11; tied for first in a single season in Air Force history) and home runs (11). His .410 batting average was also tied for the highest by an Air Force player since 2003 and he finished with a robust 1.183 OPS.
Skenes took it to another level in 2022. He became a regular part of Air Force’s weekend rotation and started 15 games on the mound, nearly quadrupling his total innings. He was still listed in the batting lineup in 51 of 52 games and appeared in the 52nd as a pinch hitter. On some of his days off (throwing), he even picked up the other Air Force weapons.
As a pitcher, Skenes struck out 96 batters and allowed a batting average of just .224 while posting a 2.73 ERA. He also increased his home run total to 13 in 35 fewer at-bats. Unsurprisingly, Skenes won the 2022 John Olerud Award as the top two-way player nationally, while also leading Air Force to the Mountain West Conference title and an appearance in the Austin Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
Taking your talents to LSU
Naturally, Skenes began pursuing a professional baseball career. Air Force service requirements represented a significant obstacle on that path. The transfer portal provided Skenes with an immediate solution.
Then, before his junior year — after which he was eligible to enter the MLB Draft — Skenes left the Falcons in search of other opportunities. He immediately became one of the most popular names on the portal, attracting interest from powerful programs across the country.
Citing a desire to win championships (excellent foreshadowing), Skenes joined an already loaded LSU team that began working to bolster its pitching depth with commitments from UCLA’s Thatcher Hurd and Vanderbilt’s Christian Little.
Leading a superteam
On an LSU team loaded with all-conference selections and MLB Draft picks, Skenes stood out. It all started in the offseason when LSU decided to use Skenes as a full-time pitcher. His velocity has seen a big boost—with his average fastball clocking in at around 90 mph—and he’s improved an already devastating slider thanks to a renewed focus on mechanics and body fluidity.
In his first start Friday night against Western Michigan, he pitched six scoreless innings and struck out 12 batters — his first of seven consecutive double-digit strikeout games. Skenes led the Tigers to their SEC roster, a run to the NCAA Tournament and ultimately the College World Series.
In the second inning of the College World Series opener on June 22 against Wake Forest, Skenes broke the SEC record for strikeouts in a single season – held since 1989 by LSU legend Ben McDonald – with his 203rd punch of the year. Skenes threw eight scoreless innings in that game, allowing just two hits, as the Tigers clinched a berth in the NCAA Championship Series against Florida.
LSU dispatched Florida in three games to win its first national title since 2009. Skenes, who finished the year with 19 starts, a 1.69 ERA (2nd nationally), 209 strikeouts (led the nation), 15.33 K/ 9 (led the nation) and a 0.75 WHIP (led the nation), was named the 2023 SEC Pitcher of the Year and the College World Series Most Outstanding Player.
He also won the 2023 Dick Howser Trophy winner and received a consensus All-American nod. Unsurprisingly, Skenes declared for the 2023 MLB Draft, where he was taken first overall by the Pirates. His LSU teammate, outfielder Dyland Crews, was selected by the Washington Nationals with the second pick, making Skenes and Crews the first consecutive college teammates at the top of the draft since 1965.
In total, thirteen players from LSU’s national title-winning team were drafted, including six in the first six rounds. Tommy White, who plays third base for the Tigers and has played in 66 games in 2023, is considered a first-round prospect in the 2024 draft.
