Congrats to Livvy Dunne’s significant other
The Paul Skenes era begins this weekend.
Former LSU ace, College World Series Most Outstanding Player, and No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes got the call up by the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday afternoon. Skenes, the current No. 3 overall Minor League prospect, will make his debut on Saturday as the Pirates host the Chicago Cubs.
5.11.24 pic.twitter.com/fPh1beCkwn
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 8, 2024
Skenes has been dominant in Triple-A Indianapolis this season. In seven starts and 27 and 1⁄3 innings, Skenes has a ridiculous 0.99 ERA with 45 strikeouts versus eight walks. The fastball is still sitting comfortably at 100 MPH and he’s spent his time in the minors expanding his pitching arsenal. Skenes has been mixing in more curveballs and changeups and has developed a “splinker” which is a sinker-splitter mesh.
Skenes has also been slowly building up his workload since leaving LSU. After throwing 122 innings in Baton Rouge last season, the Pirates have been careful with Skenes. He’s yet to throw more than 75 pitches in the minors. How far the club allows Skenes to go on Saturday might depend on how he’s performing.
First pitch for Skenes’s debut is set for 3:05 CT. Pittsburgh is currently 17-21 and in fourth place in the NL Central.