Paul Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, made his Single-A debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate in Bradenton on Tuesday night. The right-handed pitcher, who signed a record $9.2 million bonus with the Pirates in July, threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts and hit 100 mph on the radar gun several times.
Skenes, a former LSU star who helped the Tigers win the National Championship this year, faced four batters in his outing. He allowed a single to Seth Stephenson on a 98 mph sinker, but then struck out Cristian Santana, the Tigers’ No. 17 prospect, on a 100 mph sinker. He also struck out Jim Jarvis on an 84 mph slider that dived toward his back foot. He got out of the inning after Stephenson got into a rundown and was tagged out by shortstop Yordany De Los Santos.
The 21-year-old Skenes is considered one of the best pitching prospects in recent memory, drawing comparisons to former No. 1 selections and eventual MLB aces Stephen Strasburg and Gerrit Cole. He is ranked as the No. 3 prospect in baseball by MLB.com, which estimates he will be in the majors next year.
Skenes is rumored to be dating LSU gymnast and influencer Olivia Dunne, who was seen cheering for him in her own solo box suite at his pro debut last week.