On Saturday’s game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park, The Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up star prospect Paul Skenes who is expected to make his debut.
Announced on Wednesday by the club, the top prospect and hard-throwing right-hander is set to make his first start and big-league debut at PNC Park.
The Pirates are calling up Paul Skenes pic.twitter.com/DVk7zhcdnk
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 8, 2024
Skenes was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB draft and signed for $9.2 million, currently ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the game, including the top pitcher, by MLB Pipeline.
21-year-old Skenes, the best pitching talent in a generation, will arrive in Pittsburgh after dominating Triple-A, allowing only three earned runs in 27⅓ innings and striking out 45 batters.
Tall at 6-foot-6, he entered the national scene last year with Louisiana State University, was named the D1 National Player of the Year, and led his school to the College World Series title.
He also won the Dick Howser Trophy given to the nation’s best player and was named SEC Pitcher of the Year and College World Series Most Outstanding Player in 2023.
The fireballing right-hander ended his junior year with a 1.69 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 122.2 innings over 19 starts for the Tigers. He only played one season at LSU after transferring from Air Force.
At the Pirates, Skenes will be joining a rotation headed by Mitch Keller, who had his contract extended this spring, and rookie Jared Jones.
The Pirates entered 2024 seemingly to build him up slowly and avoid a potential mid-season pullback on his innings. As he joined veterans Martin Perez and Bailey Falter, the Pirates now have arguably the best rotation in the division.
