Paul Skenes celebrates Mother’s Day after Pirates' 4-3 win vs. Braves
Several MLB stars, including Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, shared Mother's Day tributes on Sunday.
Paul was born to Craig and Karen Skenes in 2002. The duo had a big influence on the Pirates ace's aspirations of becoming a ballplayer since his early days. The reigning National League Rookie of the Year shared an Instagram post to celebrate his mother.
"Happy Mother's Day!" Skenes captioned the picture of him with his mother in Pittsburgh gear.
Paul Skenes' post came after the Pirates clinched a narrow 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. The win sealed the three-game series for the Pirates, their first since the series win against the Los Angeles Angels last month.
The Pirates led after a three-run burst in the fifth inning. The Braves tied the game with a three-run surge of their own in the eighth, but the hosts clinched the win after Joe Bart's walk-off hit in the ninth.
Paul Skenes' early career was moulded by his mother
Paul Skenes acknowledged the influence of his parents in an interview with Channel 11′s Shelby Cassesse in February. The All-Star ace said that several family members loved baseball, and it pushed him towards the sport.
“They’ve always been fans on both my mom and my dad’s side. So that was kind of the first sport that they introduced to me first. I just fell in love with it and have been doing it ever since,” he said.
“We’d play whiffle ball at my grandparents’ house. My dad would throw to me every day, play catch with me every day, hit me ground balls, fly balls.”
Paul's mother, Karen, has three brothers, all with military backgrounds. While two of Paul's uncles served in the Navy, a third was in the Coast Guard. Their service influenced Paul Skenes, who also attended military school before realizing his baseball dream.
“I feel like baseball was always just a dream that was in the back of his mind,” Karen Skenes said. “It’s very hard at a professional level. It’s very hard to get to that point."
Paul Skenes had a stellar rookie year with the Pirates after being drafted by the team in 2023. He has emerged as one of the most watchable players in the league, which isn't an easy feat for a pitcher.