New level, same Skenes: Top pick dazzles in debut

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Hundreds of eyes and dozens of cell phone cameras were locked in on Paul Skenes more than an hour before he made his Single-A debut Tuesday night.

The crowd lined the wooden boardwalk above the right-field bullpen at LECOM Park to get a glimpse of the No. 1 pick in the 2023 Draft as he stretched and warmed up for his second appearance in pro ball.

Then one of the best pitching prospects in recent memory strode to the mound for the Bradenton Marauders and gave everyone what they really came to see.

Skenes struck out two batters in a 16-pitch scoreless inning for the Pirates affiliate, throwing 11 pitches for strikes in the Marauders' 14-13 victory over the Lakeland Flying Tigers. He said he came away feeling “super happy” about his performance, just his second since his final start on June 22 en route to LSU's national championship.

“It's getting back on the mound after a month-and-a-half off. I've been throwing the whole time, but you can't replace the adrenaline and the fans and with a hitter in the box,” the 21-year-old said. “You can't replace that in the bullpen, so sometimes you don't know exactly what you're going to get just because your body moves different. Your body moves faster when there are those factors in there. So I was really happy with my ability to command it today, especially for it being so early.”

Unlike his pro debut on Thursday when he leaned on his 80-grade fastball, Skenes showcased more of his repertoire against the Tigers prospects, mixing his triple-digit heater almost evenly with two breaking pitches: a sweeping slider that reaches into the high 80s and a shorter, mid-80s slider that acts similar to a cutter.

“I feel like every pitch I threw today was with conviction, and for the most part, where I wanted it to be,” he said. “Especially with the second outing back, that's all I can ask for.”

First Single-A start in the books for Paul Skenes!

The @Pirates' top prospect fans a pair for @The_Marauders: https://t.co/OPeAoi9lmk pic.twitter.com/NvqlxWE7Kw

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) August 16, 2023

The No. 3 prospect in baseball's start began with the first baserunner he has allowed as a pro, as he gave up a clean single up the middle from Seth Stephenson on a 98 mph four-seamer.

From there, Skenes was untouchable.

He froze Cristian Santana, the Tigers’ No. 17 prospect, on a 100 mph four-seamer -- his fastest pitch of the night -- located perfectly on the outside corner as Stephenson stole second and then advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Geovanny Planchart.

The 6-foot-6 right-hander was not affected by the runner in scoring position. He buckled down and got Jim Jarvis to strike out swinging on an 84 mph slider that dived toward the shortstop’s back foot.

Skenes got four whiffs on nine swings in the inning. And although he didn’t pop any 101s or 102s on the radar gun like he has in the past, he is content to sacrifice a little velocity for pinpoint location.

“It's not going to be 101 every outing,” Skenes said. “The thing I look for is just maintaining the velocity. ... I think that's more telling about where my body is, my strength and conditioning.

“If you have a well-spotted fastball at 96 [mph] or whatever, it's going to work too. Velocity, it's a tool, it helps you get away with some stuff. It’s a really good tool to have, but it's not the end-all, be-all by any means, because a well-executed fastball at whatever velocity is the best pitch in baseball, I think.”

His final pitch on this night was an 87 mph slider that drew a swing-and-a miss from Detroit's No. 14 prospect Max Anderson. That evened the count at 2-2, but as Planchart received the ball, he noticed Stephenson, who has 57 steals this season, wandering off the third-base bag. That began a rundown which included Skenes.

“All I was thinking about was that I wanted to catch him,” the 235-pounder said. “But he's a little faster than I am.”

Instead, he made the toss to shortstop Yordany De Los Santos (PIT No. 21), who applied the tag to complete the 2-5-1-6 putout.

As Skenes made his way off the field, he was showered with boisterous cheers from fans who had been watching his every move well before his much-anticipated debut.

“It's cool to feel that love here too, so hopefully that continues as I keep going,” he said. “Hopefully, we can make that happen in Pittsburgh.”

Skenes confirmed he will pitch again Sunday in Bradenton against Lakeland. According to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, the future ace should throw two innings, and then he is expected to move up in the Pirates’ system.

After a couple of one-inning starts to open his pro career, how does Skenes feel about going two frames his next time out?

“I mean, I want to pitch seven,” he said.