"I want to go fly planes and kill bad people" - Paul Skenes reveals initial future plans before dominating MLB

Long before he became a Rookie of the Year and a potential Cy Young candidate, Paul Skenes was with the Air Force Falcons. He was a highly touted high school player but his future seemed more likely to have flight in it than a 100 mph fastball.

Skenes was a catcher who also pitched. He committed to the Air Force to play baseball but served in the United States military. His career trajectory has since changed; however, he always viewed himself as a future military service member.

“I want to go fly planes and kill bad people, and if baseball opens up, then I’ll do that,” Skenes said on Wednesday, via GQ.

Ultimately, baseball opened up. Skenes showed off his talent and he ended up transferring to LSU. He quickly became the nation's most dominant pitcher, leading his team to a national title and being the No. 1 overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024.

He spent less than a full year in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut and won Rookie of the Year. He started Opening Day in 2025 and remains one of the top Cy Young candidates.

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Paul Skenes' coach once advised him to ditch the Air Force

When Paul Skenes was with the Air Force, he had a coach who saw the writing on the wall. He knew Skenes was destined for big things and advised him to find a different school to pitch at.

Paul Skenes left the Air Force (Imagn)

In the GQ interview, Skenes revealed that he would've stayed for four years if he remained with the Air Force after his sophomore season.

He said his coach didn't want that for him.

“He was like, You either stay here and when you get drafted, you walk across the stage in your flight suit, and every time you pitch you’re a recruiting ad for the Air Force, or you go somewhere that’s going to make you the first overall pick,” Skenes said.

Skenes didn't believe him, saying "That's not going to happen." However, he was not only able to become the top pick in the draft as his coach said, but he also went pro instead of remaining in college beyond that.

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