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Paul Skenes Pumps 102 MPH While Mowing Down No. 1 Picks During Strong Spring Training Debut

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Paul Skenes Spring Training Pirates Orioles
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Paul Skenes’ first Grapefruit League start lasted only 10 pitches. It was all that was necessary!

He recorded three-straight outs during his first-career start at MLB Spring Training and pumped 100+ mph on the gun not just once, not twice, but four times. The Pittsburgh Pirates pulled him after the first inning. They had seen enough. Skenes has arrived!

To make his start even more impressive, it wasn’t like he faced a Double-A lineup…

In fact, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft faced the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. They went down one by one by one in that order!

Skenes toed the rubber against the top of the Baltimore Orioles’ lineup. They didn’t last long.

Jackson Holliday stepped into the box to lead things off. Skenes brushed him back for ball one and threw a 100 mph fastball for a ground out to second base.

Adley Rutschman was up next. He drove a fastball deep to right field for out No. 2 after taking a ball low!

Up third was Heston Kjerstad. His at-bat was the longest of the three before he popped one up to the outfield for the third out of the inning.

Paul Skenes was dealing! His fastball hit 102 mph on two different occasions. His breaking ball was moving.

An overlay of the first and third pitches of Skenes’ matchup against Kjerstad reflects a brutal reality for hitters. Good luck!

Even though it was short, Skenes’ first official start for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ big league club was even better than the organization (and its fans) could have hoped. He threw strikes on six of 10 pitches, sat down three top-two draft picks in order, and showed a wicked breaking ball while blowing his fastball past top-tier bats.