Pirates end Skenes' season on a high note

Paul Skenes' pro debut has come to a close.

The Pirates announced on Tuesday that Skenes was placed on the Development List and won’t pitch again this season. The main objective was for the No. 1 pick in this year’s Draft to get his feet wet and get an early glimpse of what it’s like to prepare to start every fifth day.

“We’re excited and encouraged by the positive things Paul has been able to accomplish in his short time in the Pirates organization,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said. “He’s checked all of the boxes we aimed for him to check during the 2023 season. The goal now is to focus on a complete offseason in preparation for his first full professional year in 2024.”

Skenes, who signed for a record $9.2 million as the top pick in the Draft, finished with five total appearances at three stops in the Florida Complex League, Single-A Florida State League and Double-A Eastern League. He threw 6 2/3 total innings, allowing four runs on five hits, walking two and striking out 10.

All of those runs and both of those walks came in one outing, his Double-A debut on Aug. 26. He allowed just two hits in six innings of shutout ball, striking out 10, in his other four appearances. He bounced back from his “rough” outing -- he wasn’t hit particularly hard and some felt he was working with a small strike zone – by tossing two shutout frames and striking out three in what turned out to be his final start on Aug. 31.

Some were surprised Skenes pitched at all, with college pitchers often not ramping it back up after a long season and the Draft not taking place until the collegiate season was done. The Pirates found a balance of letting him dip his toes in professional waters while not over-taxing him and turning the page to next year could help him for what should be a quick ascent to Pittsburgh, with a big league debut in 2024 expected by many.

Considered by many evaluators to be the best college pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg, Skenes helped Louisiana State win the College World Series in 2023 and was a Golden Spikes Award finalist, finishing behind his teammate Dylan Crews, the second overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Skenes was initially slated to pitch on Thursday against Dylan Crews and the Harrisburg Senators, but that matchup will have to wait, at the minimum, another year.

“There are probably some fans in Altoona who will be upset that matchup will not happen now, but I'm sure we'll see him in the big leagues some day, and that will be exciting when it does happen there,” Cherington said. “We're going to trust the recommendation that was given to us.”

A former two-way player with tremendous power at the plate, a focus on pitching only when he transferred to LSU enabled him to lead NCAA Division I pitchers in strikeouts (209, a school and SEC record), strikeouts per nine (15.3) and WHIP (0.75). He also ranked second in wins, ERA and opponents’ average, allowing him to earn SEC pitcher of the year honors and land in the top spot in the Draft. His accomplishments, polish and stuff all led to him debuting on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 at No. 3 overall.

“When you are [the first overall pick], there is a spotlight that gets put on you,” said manager Derek Shelton. “From the little bit of interactions I’ve had with him, you are talking about a really mature kid. I think that speaks to how he was brought up.”