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Paul Skenes has been winning praises for his pitching, but the All-Star Game also saw him win fans' hearts with a small message. The Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher had a Bible verse printed on his glove that was noticed by fans.
Paul Skenes' rise to the top of the pitching charts has been one for the ages. After getting drafted as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Skenes quickly made it up the ranks before making his MLB debut this year. Before getting selected as an All-Star, he went 6-0 with an ERA of 1.90.
The rookie created further history when he was announced as the National League starter. During the game, Skenes threw a scoreless first innings on 16 pitches. He faced a stacked AL batting lineup consisting of Steven Kwan, Gunnar Henderson and the Yankees duo of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge.
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After making it through Kwan and Henderson with relative ease, Soto drew a full-count walk against the 6-foot-7 pitcher. But there was no harm done, as Skenes forced a groundout off Judge on the first pitch.
During his impressive performance, fans picked up a minute detail on Skenes' glove that showed his focus and commitment to the game. The Bible verse 2 Timothy 1:7 was etched. The verse is an inspirational one that requests people stay disciplined through acts of power and love.
“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline,” the verse says.
Paul Skenes discusses balancing nerves and excitement on his big day
On his first time sharing the clubhouse and dugout with some of the biggest names in the sport, Paul Skenes was assigned with leading out the National League pitching staff. This would likely have been nerve-wracking for him. He discussed his feelings in the post-game interview.
“I don’t think I blacked out when I was out there, but I was pretty close,” Skenes said.
Skenes will look to continue his rich vein of form as he heads back to Pittsburgh for the second half of the season.
