Paul Skenes' path to MLB: How Pirates phenom went from two-way college star to national champ to majors

Paul Skenes’ path to MLB: How Pirates phenom went from two-way college star to national champ to majors

The Pittsburgh Pirates have promoted right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, to make his big-league debut, the team announced Wednesday. He’ll make his first start on Saturday against the Cubs. It will be the most-anticipated pitching debut by a former collegiate star since Stephen Strasburg in 2010.

Skenes breezed through minor-league competition since turning professional. Through 27 1/3 innings with Triple-A Indianapolis this year, Skenes recorded 45 strikeouts and a 0.99 ERA while allowing just one home run.

Skenes, 21, won a national championship with LSU in 2023 after transferring in from Air Force. He quickly became a household name for fans of the sport, an imposing 6-foot-6, mustachioed presence and one half of an LSU power couple with Olivia Dunne.

CBS Sports ranked Skenes as the top pitching prospect in the minors entering the season.

Here’s what you need to know about Skenes’ journey.

Quick ascents nothing new for Skenes  

It’s never taken Skenes long to acclimate to whatever situation he’s put in. He didn’t even start his first game as a pitcher until his junior year at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, California. Prior to that, he played catcher, first base and third base for the same prep program that’s produced the likes of Nolan Arenado and Matt Chapman.

That first season pitching, Skenes posted a 0.67 ERA and earned first team all-league, all-county, all-conference and all-state honors. His senior year was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though he was mowing batters down through a handful of appearances.

The pandemic cut short what could have been a prolific season for Skenes, with national acclaim, draft hype and major collegiate offers sure to follow. Instead, Skenes honored a longstanding commitment to Air Force and accepted an appointment to the class of 2024.

Blossoming into a two-way star

Air Force’s coaching staff saw Skenes’ potential as a do-it-all star from the moment he stepped foot on campus. He started all 48 games as a freshman — though none as a pitcher — with 28 starts at designated hitter, 18 at catcher and two at first base.

Not that Air Force didn’t work his arm. He also made 18 appearances as a relief pitcher, often serving as a closer for the Falcons. He was the only player at the Division I level to notch double-digit saves (11; tied for first in a single season in Air Force history) and home runs (11). His .410 batting average was also tied for the highest from an Air Force player since 2003 and he finished with a robust 1.183 OPS.

Skenes took it to another level in 2022. He became a regular part of Air Force’s weekend rotation and started 15 games on the mound, almost quadrupling his innings total. He was still listed in the batting lineup for 51 out of 52 games, and appeared in the 52nd as a pinch hitter. On some of his (pitching) off days, he’d even catch for Air Force’s other arms.

As a pitcher, Skenes fanned 96 batters and allowed just a .224 batting average while posting a 2.73 ERA. He also increased his home run total to 13 in 35 fewer at bats. Unsurprisingly, Skenes won the 2022 John Olerud Award as the best two-way player nationally while leading Air Force to a Mountain West Conference title and an appearance in the Austin Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

Taking his talents to LSU 

Naturally, Skenes started to look towards a professional baseball career. Air Force’s service requirements provided a significant roadblock on that path. The transfer portal provided Skenes with an immediate solution.

So, ahead of his junior year — after which he was eligible to enter the MLB Draft — Skenes left the Falcons to pursue other opportunities. He immediately became one of the hottest names in the portal, drawing interest from powerhouse programs across the country.

Citing a desire to win championships (excellent foreshadowing), Skenes joined an already loaded LSU squad that had got to work bolstering its pitching depth with commitments from UCLA’s Thatcher Hurd and Vanderbilt’s Christian Little.

Leading a superteam 

On an LSU team laden with all-conference selections and MLB Draft picks, Skenes stood out. It started in the offseason, when LSU decided to use Skenes as a pitcher full-time. His velocity saw a major uptick — with his average fastball ticking at about 99 mph — and he improved on an already devastating slider thanks to a renewed focus on mechanics and body fluidity.

In his first Friday night start against Western Michigan, he threw six scoreless innings and struck out 12 batters — his first of seven double-digit strikeout games in a row. Skenes led the Tigers through their SEC slate, a run in the NCAA Tournament and, finally, to the College World Series.

In the second inning of a June 22 College World Series start against Wake Forest, Skenes broke the SEC record for single-season strikeouts — held since 1989 by LSU legend Ben McDonald — with his 203rd punchout of the year. Skenes went eight scoreless innings in that game, allowing just two hits while the Tigers secured a spot in the NCAA Championship Series against Florida.

LSU dispatched Florida in three games to win its first national title since 2009. Skenes, who finished the year with 19 starts, a 1.69 ERA (2nd nationally), 209 strikeouts (led the nation), 15.33 K/9 (led the nation) and a 0.75 WHIP (led the nation), was named 2023 SEC Pitcher of the Year and College World Series Most Outstanding Player.

He also won the 2023 Dick Howser Trophy Winner and earned a consensus All-American nod. Unsurprisingly, Skenes declared for the 2023 MLB Draft, where he was taken first overall by the Pirates. His LSU teammate, outfielder Dyland Crews, was selected by the Washington Nationals with the No. 2 pick, making Skenes and Crews the first college teammates taken back-to-back at the top of the draft since 1965.

Thirteen total players off of LSU’s national title-winning squad were drafted, including six in the first six rounds. Tommy White, who plays third base for the Tigers and appeared in 66 games in 2023, is considered a first-round prospect in the 2024 draft.