WATCH: LSU Tigers' HC Jay Johnson inducts birthday boy Paul Skenes on the team's MLB board
Paul Skenes, one of the stars of LSU's championship-winning team last season, received a special honor from Tigers coach Jay Johnson on Wednesday. Following his MLB call-up earlier this month, Johnson made the ace's 22nd birthday even more special by adding him to an elite list of ex-Tigers, continuing the seven-time NCAA champions' long-running tradition.
Hours before Skenes took to the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Detroit Tigers, Johnson added his name to the MLB board, which is how the Tigers celebrate each of their players who get the call-up to the major leagues. His name is right next to Josh Smith, who made his MLB debut for the Texas Rangers in 2022.
Johnson also praised Skenes, wishing him well for the game against Detroit as well as for his future:
"Happy Birthday, by the way, and you’re going to take it to the Tigers tonight. You won a lot of games with the LSU Tigers, tonight you’re going to beat the Detroit Tigers. We love you and we’re proud of you, Paul. Keep going!"
Other noteworthy names on the board include Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, New York Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu and the Nola brothers, Austin and Aaron Nola.
Paul Skenes was the second No. 1 MLB draft pick in LSU Tigers history
Skenes recorded an SEC-record 209 strikeouts and went 13-2 for the Tigers in his final season. He also recorded an ERA of 1.69, five shutouts and two complete games en route to helping the Tigers win their seventh NCAA Division I title.
His pitching exploits earned him multiple individual accolades, the most prominent ones being the 2023 Dick Howser Trophy and the 2023 D1 Baseball National Player of the Year.
In the 2023 MLB draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates chose him as the No. 1 draft pick. With this, Skenes became the second LSU player to be picked No. 1, the other one being Ben McDonald in 1989. In addition, he and Dylan Crews became the first duo from the same program to make the top two MLB draft picks.
Skenes has lived up to the hype, recording 30 strikeouts in 22 innings and going 2-0 in his first four games.