Pittsburgh Pirates first round draft pick, pitcher Paul Skenes meets with reporters after signing ... [+]
Right-handed starting pitcher, Paul Skenes, has been promoted by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Skenes, still just 21, will make his debut Saturday May 11, against the Chicago Cubs.
Skenes is graduating to Major League Baseball after spending parts of only two seasons in the Pirates minor league player development program.
Since signing with the Pirates as the 1st player taken overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Skenes has made 12 minor league starts.
In his 34 innings pitched, Paul Skenes has fashioned a 1.85 ERA, and a 0.94 WHIP.
Skenes has struck out an average of 14.6 minor league hitters per 9 innings pitched. He has walked an average of 2.6 minor league hitters per nine.
Skenes has yielded only one home run.
To date, the accomplishments of the 6-6, 235 pound Skenes have been remarkable.
OMAHA, NE - JUNE 26: Paul Skenes #20 of the LSU Tigers celebrates after defeating the Florida Gators ... [+]
About Paul Skenes:
Paul Skenes attended El Toro High School, in Orange County, California. He grew up in Lake Forest, California.
The first player chosen in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates gave Paul Skenes a whopping, $9.2 million signing bonus.
While pitching at Air Force, and at Louisiana State University, Skenes threw to a 24-6 record in his 34 collegiate starts. He made a total of 52 mound appearances at LSU, also working out of their bullpen, saving 11 games in his three years.
Skenes was a two-way player at both Air Force and LSU.
Skenes started his college career with 15 starting pitching assignments at Air Force.
Skenes also hit .410, with 11 homers in 2021 as a catcher (18 games) and first baseman (two games.)
In 2022, Skenes made 15 more starts for Air Force, finishing that year with a 10-3 record, a 2.73 ERA, and a 1.16 WHIP.
Skenes continued to both pitch and play left field, as well as catching in 12 games for Air Force in 2022. He hit .314 that year, with 13 homers, and 38 RBIs.
Skenes won the John Olerud Award in 2022, which is given by the College Baseball Federation to the best collegiate two-way player.
After Skenes transferred to LSU in 2023, he gave up being a position player, and concentrated only on pitching, helping his team win the College World Series championship.
While Skenes went first overall in the draft, his LSU teammate, outfielder Dylan Crews, went second overall. The Washington Nationals gave Crews a $9 million signing bonus.
BRADENTON, FLORIDA - MARCH 14: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws a pitch in the top ... [+]
Scouting Paul Skenes:
One has to start the scouting report on Paul Skenes by describing Skenes’ 100-102 miles per hour fastball.
Skenes gets tremendous movement on his fastball, which is a feature that holds, even when he takes a mile or two off the velocity of the pitch.
For this old scout, after watching plenty of video, it is the great movement Skenes gets on his pitches that sets Skenes apart from others.
Scouts have graded Skenes’ fastball from 70 to 80 on the MLB Scouting Grade Scale.
A Grade 70 equates to a consistent All Star pitcher, with more than two well above average pitches, superb control, and excellent command of a complete repertoire.
A Grade 80 pitcher is the best in the game. A legitimate Ace. A future Hall of Fame pitcher.
Skenes throws his entire arsenal with great ease, but getting such consistent velocity on his fastball is a tribute to his consistent, advanced pitching mechanics.
Skenes repeats his delivery. He throws his pitches with confidence. And he commands that fastball with little to no variation in either his arm slot, or extension.
Skenes has been seen by many scouts as having the best “pure” fastball, and “stuff” since Stephen Strasburg was signed by the Washington Nationals ,as the No. 1 player overall in the 2009 draft.
Skenes’ fastball is made even more effective by his slider.
Throwing his slider in the upper-80’s, the pitch buckles knees and keeps hitters off balance. He gets great, late break on his slider.
In essence, Skenes’ fastball/slider combination can be used at any point in the count, as the hitter can’t eliminate either pitch in his approach to the next pitch.
Skenes also features a changeup, which he can deploy to end an at bat, get a swing-and-miss in any pitch sequence, and alter the eye-level and balance of the hitter.
Three pitches. All well above major league average in quality, and shape. And each pitch can be used effectively to induce a strikeout.
A well-conditioned athlete, moving forward, it would appear that Paul Skenes may add even more strength in the Pirates conditioning program.
Physically, Skenes is big and strong, and has the ability to go deeply into games, without tiring.
ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 1: Paul Skenes #27 of the Altoona Curve delivers a pitch in the ... [+]
Conclusions and Scouting Grade:
Right-hander Paul Skenes, viewed by many as the best young pitcher to enter Major League Baseball since Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals, will make his big league debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates May 10. He will face the Chicago Cubs.
The Pirates do not have to worry about losing a year of control regarding Skenes’ service time.
Skenes can join the Pirates big league rotation, get acclimated with his teammates and his MLB opposition, and learn as much as possible as a young, 21-year-old rookie.
For this scout, Paul Skenes profiles as a Grade- 70 starting pitcher.
To this scout, Paul Skenes will take his place among the best pitchers in the game. And it may happen within the next two seasons.
