In Photos: Pirates flamethrower Paul Skenes meets HOFer Reggie Jackson, receives special gift from MLB legend

Paul Skenes met Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson on Wednesday during the Pirates vs. Astros series at Minute Maid Park. The Pirates' official Instagram account shared pictures of Skenes meeting the Yankees and Athletics great.

Skenes received a special gift, a signed ball from the MLB legend, after they had a conversation.

“Paul Skenes 🤝 Reggie Jackson” - @pittsburghpirates

Paul Skenes has been sensational since his debut. He has clashed with MVPs like Shohei Ohtani and Cody Bellinger head-on. Skenes was selected for this year’s All-Star event, pitching a hitless inning against Steven Kwan, Gunnar Hendeson and Aaron Judge of the AL team.

As of now, he has a 1.90 ERA in 80.2 innings, giving up only 18 runs, 17 of which are earned, in 13 games (6-1 record). In his last outing against the Houston Astros, he pitched for six innings, giving up only two runs, earning one, and leading his team to a 5-3 victory.

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Potential showdown between Paul Skenes and Jackson Holliday at the World Series?

Jackson Holliway returned to Major League on Wednesday to redeem himself, after his failed 10-game stint with the Baltimore Orioles earlier this season. During the series finale between the Orioles and the Blue Jays, Holliday hit his first homer, a grand slam, leading his team to a 10-4 victory.

Both former no. 1 overall draft picks (Jackson Holliday in 2022 and Paul Skenes in 2023) are now set to lock horns once again in the big league, but maybe not this year. At this point, their teams have no series scheduled unless they meet in playoffs.

The Orioles are the AL West Division leader with a 65-44, tying with the New York Yankees (65-45) and the Cleveland Guardians (65-42), the AL Central Division Leader. They are almost guaranteed a playoff spot with their current standings.

Meanwhile, the Pirates have a 55-53 season record, behind five games from the AL Central Divison topper Milwaukee Brewers (61-47). Unfortunately, they are not even on the Wildcard Series contender list given the current NL standings.

However, the margin isn’t that great and there are still games left before October. If the Pirates can continue their winning performance, they might enter the playoff spots at the last minute, giving fans a chance to see a Holliday vs. Skenes duel on the league’s biggest stage, the World Series. It sounds unimaginable, but not impossible.