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Paul Skenes got the start for the Indianapolis Indians on Thursday against the St. Paul Saints. It did not take long for him to turn heads at the ballpark, as he was dealing early.
Skenes struck out the side in the first inning after his squad gave him an early 1-0 lead. He had everything working for him, striking out two with his fastball, and ended the inning with a nasty breaking ball.
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Skenes is the top pitching prospect in the league, and he is showing exactly why so many people are high on him. He is the complete package, throwing hard, having control, and a wide arsenal.
To follow up on his first-inning excellence, he struck out Tony Kemp with a 102 MPH fastball. Skenes is not just overpowering young prospects, he is doing the same to MLB veterans.
"The best pitching prospect I've ever seen" - one fan posted.
"Bro should NOT be in AAA" - another fan posted.
"It's service time manipulation at this point right? - posted another.
Fans are more amazed by Paul Skenes in each start he has. They want to see the Pirates call this man up and lead their rotation.
Yeah he's ready" - said another fan.
"This dude is going to be special for the Pirates. He's going to save this franchise" - said another.
"He's dealing tonight" - said another.
Pittsburgh is in good hands with Skenes. Fans believe he is going to be the key for this organization in the future.
Paul Skenes has the talent to be on the big league roster
Coming into his Thursday start, Paul Skenes has been on fire. He started three games, not allowing a single run over the course of 9.1 innings while striking out 19 batters.
He has consistently run his fastball up to 101 and 102 MPH while keeping batters honest with his breaking balls. There is little to nitpick about the former SEC Pitcher of the Year's game.
Pittsburgh could call him up at any point during the season. However, the front office would like to see Skenes get some more experience under his belt before calling him up.
Given the wide-open nature of the National League Central, they may be forced to call him up sooner or later. Pittsburgh seriously has a chance at taking home the division title this year.
