"Oh my! He was nasty" - Former World Series winner lauds Paul Skenes following impressive spring training showing
One of the top MLB prospects for the upcoming season, Pittsburgh Pirates' Paul Skenes impressed the masses on his maiden Spring Training outing yesterday against the Baltimore Orioles, who themselves possess a top prospect in the face of Jackson Holliday.
After winning a seventh NCAA championship title for the LSU Tigers in the history of their baseball program in 2023, Paul Skenes was picked as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB draft by the Pirates. Fans had eagerly been waiting for his professional outing with Pittsburgh since he signed a record $9.2 million deal at just 21 years of age.
While Skenes impressed fans and baseball pundits with his outing against the Orioles, former World Series champion with the Halos, Cameron Maybin, took to X, formally Twitter, to voice his praise for the 6-foot-6 gas thrower:
"Please tell me you guys caught Paul Skenes outing? Oh my he was nasty."
Paul Skenes recorded a 1-2-3 first innings against the Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida, in his first Spring Training game wearing a Pirates uniform. With one of his 10 pitches that day, he recorded a speed of 102 miles per hour on the radar gun. On that day, Skenes reportedly threw four pitches that were over 100 mph.
Skenes played two prior first-round selections on Thursday in catcher Adley Rutschman and shortstop Jackson Holliday. The game ended without a run being scored in the first innings, but eventually, the Birds edged out the Pirates 9-8.
Skenes shared his thoughts on his maiden game with the Pirates:
"I think the biggest thing was just getting out there and pitching in front of people, because adrenaline is a big thing. Just kind of wanted to see where we're at."
Paul Skenes hopes to carry winning momentum with LSU Tigers to big leagues
With LSU last season, Paul Skenes posted a 13-2 record and a 1.69 ERA, helping the Tigers win a record seventh national championship. With 209 strikeouts, he broke the SEC single-season record and topped Division I. In terms of WHIP and strikeouts per nine innings, he also finished first in the nation amongst D1 baseball rankings.
Skenes won the titles of Most Outstanding Player in the College World Series and National Player of the Year. Additionally, since Phil Neven in 1992, he is the first player to be selected as the MCWS Most Outstanding Player and to go first in the MLB draft.
If Skenes' Thursday outing was any indication of what all is to come, the RHP will hope to command authority at the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the upcoming 2024 MLB season.