Major League Baseball

Pittsburgh Pirates calling up top MLB prospect Paul Skenes

Published May. 8, 2024 5:28 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up top prospect Paul Skenes, the team announced Wednesday. Skenes is set to make his MLB debut in a start against the division rival Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

The flamethrowing right-hander is the consensus top pitching prospect in all of baseball. His debut comes less than a year after he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and led LSU to the college baseball national championship.

Skenes' prospect profile has only continued to grow since then. He advanced as high as Double-A last season, despite not starting his pro career until after the July draft, and has been dominant in Triple-A this year. Across seven minor-league starts in 2024, Skenes registered a 0.99 ERA, 45 strikeouts and eight walks over 27.1 innings, while his average fastball velocity has hovered around 100 mph.

The 21-year-old Skenes has also experienced off-field fame for his relationship with Livvy Dunne, an LSU gymnast and popular social media influencer.

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