Paul Skenes is the best pitching prospect in baseball. The right-hander stands 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, and has spent this spring leering at minor league hitters before blowing triple-digit heat past them.
It’s about time Skenes picks on stars his own size.
The No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Skenes will debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday at PNC Park, delivering a 4:05 p.m. first pitch against the Chicago Cubs. Skenes’ arrival marks an important moment in the Pirates’ rebuild, and the franchise’s most anticipated debut since another No. 1 pick, now-Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, was called up in 2013.
Advertisem*nt
Skenes’ first start will be one of the must-watch moments early this MLB season. So here’s the skinny on Skenes, from his meteoric ascent on the mound to the social-media star (and fellow LSU national champion) he’s dating.
Wait, who is he dating?
Good call. Let’s get that out of the way. Have you heard of Livvy Dunne? How about Baby Gronk? Does “Baby Gronk rizzed up Livvy” ring any bells?
I wish it didn’t for me, either. Suffice it to say Dunne is an outrageously popular social media influencer — 13 million followers across Instagram and TikTok. She recently wrapped up an accomplished gymnastics career at LSU with a national championship. Dunne’s $3.9 million NIL valuation, per On3, ranked second among college athletes to Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders.
But back to her boyfriend: Dunne’s dating the Velo King, not the Drip King.
Livvy Dunne's reaction to Paul Skenes getting called up to the Pirates 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/cXbBWnqEV3
— MLB (@MLB) May 9, 2024
See AlsoOlivia Dunne Didn't Compete At NCAA Championships, But She Is A National ChampionOlivia Dunne says 'tears filled my eyes' as LSU won NCAA women's gymnastics championshipOlympic medallist says fandom around college gymnast Olivia Dunne is 'scary, disturbing and cringey'How much does Olivia Dunne make? Net worth & NIL deals for LSU gymnast, TikTok & Instagram sensation | Sporting News
What did Skenes do in college?
After starring at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, Calif., Skenes (a Los Angeles Angels fan at heart) chose the Air Force Academy because he wanted to play ball and be a fighter pilot. Few schools offer both opportunities.
Back then, Skenes was a catcher. He batted .410/.486/.697 as a freshman at Air Force and also filled in as the team’s closer. He entered the rotation as a sophom*ore and began looking like a bonafide two-way star. Skenes transferred to LSU and settled in as a full-time pitcher. The LSU lineup, led by outfielder Dylan Crews — who many believed would be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft — didn’t need another bat as much as it needed Skenes’ golden right arm.
With a fastball-slider combo, Skenes sliced through SEC lineups littered with soon-to-be pro talent. He went 13-2 with a 1.69 ERA and 0.75 WHIP, striking out 209 and walking 20 in 122 2/3 innings. He set the SEC single-season strikeout record previously owned by LSU’s Ben McDonald, who was drafted No. 1 by Baltimore in 1989 and debuted later that same season.
Paul Skenes's Absurd Stuff from the 1st Inning.
10 Consecutive 100+mph Fastballs (T102mph) and a Wicked Slider. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/vjOqDbhlZD
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 31, 2023
The Tigers topped Florida for the national title, and Skenes was named the College World Series’ Most Outstanding Player.
The Pirates, having won MLB’s draft lottery, picked Skenes over Crews, who went No. 2 to the Nationals. Skenes signed for a record $9.2 million bonus.
How did Skenes do in the minors?
Let’s put it this way. He made headlines when he gave up his first home run.
Advertisem*nt
Indeed, Skenes dominated. The mustachioed right-hander had a 0.99 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in seven starts for Triple-A Indianapolis this spring, striking out 45 and walking eight in 27 1/3 innings.
Paul Skenes was making minor league hitters look SILLY. 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/0ucCxeCAT5
— MLB (@MLB) May 8, 2024
The Pirates have elected to bring him along slowly, which gets at another thing you might be wondering: Why wasn’t Skenes in the majors earlier? It’s a fair question. Skenes was inarguably one of the organization’s top five starting pitchers from the moment he signed last summer. But given that Skenes had endured a long college season, throwing 122 2/3 innings for LSU, the fourth-place Pirates had him throw only 6 2/3 more before shutting him down last September.
They eased Skenes into a regular workload this spring, hoping a slow-and-steady approach might lessen his chances of getting hurt at a time when everyone’s arms are hurt. Skenes threw twice for the big-league club in spring training, then slowly increased his pitch count over the past month and a half with Indianapolis, from as low as 44 pitches to as many as 75.
It’s hard to knock a cautious approach. It’s also bears mentioning that the plan ensured Skenes, who’ll turn 22 later this month, won’t receive a full year of MLB service time in 2024.
What does Skenes throw?
The Athletic
‘s Keith Law has written up a detailed explanation, but the gist is that Skenes’ primary pitch is a four-seam fastball — regularly clocked at 100-plus mph —but his secondaries are even more important.
Skenes survived excelled in college throwing almost exclusively fastballs and stomach-lurching sliders. He has since diversified his arsenal. There’s a changeup mixed in against left-handed hitters, and an occasional curveball to catch a hitter napping. The most interesting addition, though, is a “splinker” — a splitter-sinker hybrid. It carries the type of mid-90s mph velocity many pitchers top out at and combines it with a decent amount of drop.
Advertisem*nt
There’s no one pitch Skenes could show the Cubs on Saturday that they’ve never seen before. But the combination of his offerings, when commanded well, will make hitters queasy.
How does Skenes factor into the Pirates’ plans?
Well, he is the centerpiece of them.
The Pirates for years have refused to spend and struggled to draft and develop like top organizations. Their problems these past nine seasons typically traced to one or both of those issues. But what if, at the end of this rebuild, they get it right? What if they construct a lineup that can do damage? What if Termarr Johnson is an All-Star? What if Henry Davis finds it? What if Ke’Bryan Hayes clicks? What if Jared Jones is just the beginning, and after him come Skenes, Mike Burrows, Anthony Solometo, Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington?
All of that is within the range of outcomes.
But getting there starts with this question: What if Skenes is an ace?
Having Skenes starting alongside 2023 All-Star Mitch Keller and (2024 All-Star?) Jones, all of whom are under club control until at least 2028, sets a foundation upon which the franchise can build its next playoff contender. So much can go wrong, particularly with pitchers and their arm health. But on the weekend Skenes arrives, it’s better to consider all that could go right.
(Top photo: Christopher Pasatieri / Getty Images)
Stephen J. Nesbitt is a senior MLB writer for The Athletic. He previously wrote for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, covering the Pittsburgh Pirates before moving to an enterprise/features role. He is a University of Michigan graduate. Follow Stephen on Twitter @stephenjnesbitt. Follow Stephen J. on Twitter @stephenjnesbitt
