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It's safe to say that the Pittsburgh Pirates have a special talent on their roster in Paul Skenes.
The highly touted pitching prospect has been declared the top pitcher in his draft class, and it's easy to see why. On his Spring Training debut, Skenes put on a show.
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In one of the most highly anticipated matchups of Spring Training so far, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles squared off on Thursday.
However, the reason the exhibition game was so anticipated had nothing to do with the two clubs themselves. Instead, it was billed as the showdown between Paul Skenes and Jackson Holliday.
Two of the top prospects in baseball, Holiday and Skenes, the eyes of the MLB were locked into their matchup with the Pirates pitcher getting the advantage in the first of many career matchups.
The Pirates pitcher forced Holliday to ground out on a pitch that was recorded with a 100 MPH velocity.
Although Paul Skenes only threw one inning on Thursday, the former LSU starting pitcher sent Pirates fans into a frenzy. Over his one inning of work, Skenes gave up zero hits or walks while also reaching a maximum velocity on his fastball of a whopping 102 MPH.
Even though it was only one inning, the future looks bright for Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Following his lone inning of work, many Pirates fans took to social media to share their admiration and excitement about Skenes:
"Oh he's an ace. I Watched every game he pitched last yr. Just a matter of time for you guys," tweeted one.
The reactions to the rookie pitcher's Spring Training debut varied, with fans left speechless by what they saw. The fact that the Pittsburgh Pirates' first-round pick hit 102 MPH and gave up zero hits left many fans saaying that the team landed their future ace.
Paul Skenes' age is another reason why Pirates fans are impressed with his Spring Training debut
The fact that Paul Skenes is only 21 is another reason why Pittsburgh Pirates fans are so optimistic about the club's future.
Many fans believe that Skenes will only continue to his getting better at the MLB level, something that could make the young starter a future All-Star based on his Spring Training debut.
After entering the 2023 MLB Draft with the most starting pitcher hype since Stephen Strasburg with the Washington Nationals, Skenes' abilities on the mound look like he was certainly worthy of the first-overall pick.
