Top Prospect Paul Skenes Continues To Dominate With Nasty Stuff, Needs To Be Called Up

Getty Image / George Kubas

Pitcher Paul Skenes had high expectations when he was selected as the first-overall pick in last year’s MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of LSU. All he’s done since is blow those expectations away.

On Friday, Paul Skenes had his second start of the year for AAA Indianapolis.  He continued to be lights-out.

Yeah, those are some good numbers. Let’s look at some highlights.

That radar gun is indeed accurate. He’s hitting over 100mph on his fastball and makes it look effortless. If you think he’s just all heat, you’re wrong. He’s got a wipeout slider as well, plus a good sinker, change-up, and curveball.

After pitching to a 1.69 ERA with a whopping 209 strikeouts in 122.1 innings for LSU’s national title team last year, Skenes hasn’t lost a step in pro ball. He’s now thrown six shutout innings this year in AAA, with 11 strikeouts. That’s impressive.

Paul Skenes isn’t just known for his pitching prowess. He’s also the boyfriend of LSU gymnast and social media superstar Olivia Dunne.

Dunne has 13 million followers between Instagram and TikTok and is by far the more famous of the pair. That’s impressive, considering that Paul Skenes is the best pitching prospect in the minor league.

The Pirates are off to a really hot start, sitting at 6-2. It seems to be a matter of when and not if the Pirates call up Paul Skenes to the big league club. When they do, he projects as their ace from day one.