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At long last, the moment that pitching prospect Paul Skenes has aniticipated for his entire life is upon us. On Saturday, Skenes will make his MLB debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Ahead of the 3:05 start time in Pittsburgh, cameras captured the 21-year-old LSU grad arriving at PNC Park. After being selected with the first overall pick in last year's draft, sight of Skenes in their team's clubhouse is an image that makes every Pirates fan excited.
Here's the video:
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"Behind the Skenes" - Pittsburgh Pirates
The video shows Paul Skenes settling in ahead of his start against the Chicago Cubs. Casually, the six-foot-six right hander strides into the Pirates clubhouse and towards his locker, which is placed next to Jared Jones, another exciting rookie pitcher for the team.
On being selected first overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Skenes inked a $9.2 million bonus with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although many thought that the California-born Skenes might have a shot at making the team's opening day roster, it was eventually determined to send him to Triple-A, for what Pirates GM Ben Cherington called "checking the boxes."
"Paul Skenes makes his MLB debut today for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Throwback to when he threw 46 00+ MPH pitches in one game @Pirates @LSUBaseball" - SEC Network
In Triple-A Indianapolis, Skenes was nothing short of dominant. In seven appearances, the ace posted a 1.32 ERA, striking out 45 batters over 27 innings of play.
Skenes only allowed one home run in the minor leagues, which came against the Toronto Blue Jays Triple-A affiliate last Sunday.
Paul Skenes has already earned the respect of his teammates
In the run-up to Skenes taking the mound for the first time in MLB, his teammates on the Pirates already understand the significance.
Recently, Jared Jones, who is another hard-throwing rookie, issued praise for Skenes, telling MLB Central:
"It's a scary sight. Skenes is obviously a different guy, throwing 102 mph past everyone. It could be a really, really fun rotation to be a part of."
Saturday will mark the beginning of what promises to be a long, fruitful, and fulfilling career for Paul Skenes.
Hopefully, the youngster is able to learn quick to ensure that the basics of MLB life are figured out before he begins a career that could very well land him in the esteemed halls of Cooperstown, New York one day.
