After just two months and one day in the major leagues, Pirates ace Paul Skenes has been selected as the starting pitcher for the National League All-Star team. NL All-Star manager Torey Lovullo of the Diamondbacks surprised the 22-year-old Skenes with the news during an interview on the Dan Patrick Show this morning, and Major League Baseball confirmed the decision shortly after. This makes Skenes the first rookie since Hideo Nomo in 1995 to earn the starting pitcher role for the Midsummer Classic, which coincidentally will also take place in Arlington, just like the game in Nomo’s rookie year.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, Skenes has quickly established himself as one of the top pitchers in the game. His rapid rise to prominence is nothing short of remarkable, given that he allowed three runs in his MLB debut but has since only given up 11 runs in 10 starts covering 62 1/3 innings.
Since his MLB debut on May 11, Skenes leads all qualified NL pitchers with a 1.90 ERA, ranking just behind White Sox ace Garrett Crochet for the MLB lead. His impressive 34.9% strikeout rate is also the highest among NL pitchers and second only to Crochet in the majors.
Opposing batters have struggled against Skenes, managing just a .202/.251/.319 batting line in 255 plate appearances. Since his debut, Skenes ranks 22nd in innings pitched, first in strikeouts, has issued the 10th-fewest walks, and boasts an undefeated 6-0 record. He is the only one among 77 qualified starting pitchers who has not suffered a loss since May 11.
Despite being removed from yesterday’s game in Milwaukee after pitching seven hitless innings and striking out 11 batters on 99 pitches, Skenes will now make history as the starting pitcher in the upcoming All-Star Game. The Pirates have a promising future ahead with Skenes and teammate Jared Jones bolstering the rotation. The team controls both pitchers for several years, giving them a strong foundation with high-caliber arms like Mitch Keller, who recently signed a lucrative contract.
