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Paul Skenes Has Been Begging His Managers For A Shohei Ohtani Type Role

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Paul Skenes throws a pitch for the Pirates in his MLB debut.

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Rookie pitcher Paul Skenes started his first MLB game last week against the Cubs, showing everyone why he was selected with the first overall pick in the 2023 draft. Despite the early success, he’s confident he can do more!

Skenes made an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show Tuesday to talk about his baseball journey and look ahead to his professional career with the Pirates. He dropped an interesting tidbit while answering a fan’s question on the air.

The talented prospect has seen success at every stop thus far, quickly rising through the minor league ranks to make his debut in Pittsburgh over the weekend.

While he wouldn’t land a win in that showing, he would put his electric stuff on full display.

Skenes struck out seven Chicago batters across four innings while allowing three runs. He hit triple digits on the radar gun on multiple occasions.

Though he didn’t make it deep into the contest, the Pirates and their fans had to be encouraged by the performance of their first-year phenom.

But what if there was a way to get him on the field more than just once a week? The starting pitcher doesn’t seem opposed!

He talked about the possibility of providing a Shohei Ohtani type impact in Pittsburgh while speaking with Pat McAfee.

Paul Skenes misses hitting and playing catcher.

Most remember the righty from his time on mound for national champion LSU, but few realize that he arrived at college as both a catcher and a pitcher.

That NCAA tenure began at Air Force, where he spent two seasons. While in Fort Collins, he shined in a variety of roles.

One was behind the dish, where he threw out 38 baserunners and committed just five errors.

As a hitter, he was even more impressive.

His freshman season, Skenes hit .410(!) while racking up 11 home runs and 21 doubles. He was the only player in the country to amass double digit saves and dingers!

The following year, he hit .314 with 13 homers while simultaneously transitioning from closer to starting pitcher.

Skenes was named a John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year due to that production, and he still believes he can match it at the big-league level!

Here’s what he had to say when asked about his ability to suit up behind the dish for the Pirates:

“I’ve been on this for a while. I’ve was trying to tell our manager in Triple-A how good I was at catcher, and he doesn’t believe me… I think I can [do it]. Nobody ever believes me when I tell them that I was a catcher, but I think I miss that just as much as I miss hitting.”

Will he get the chance to showcase those talents in Pittsburgh? Probably not on an everyday basis given his importance to the team on the mound.

But who knows? Maybe we’ll get to see him in a pinch-hit appearance or an emergency catcher role at some point in his career.