Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes has been named to start Tuesday’s All-Star Game for the National League. Skenes’s mound exploits have captivated the nation after just 11 major league games.
Pirates Rookie Sensation Pitcher Named To Start All-Star Game
WARNING: A heat wave is about to hit Texas.
Paul Skenes has been named the starting pitcher for the National League at the All-Star Game 👏 pic.twitter.com/wjOKiloWOm
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 12, 2024
Paul Skenes Starting The All-Star Game
Skenes will become only the fifth rookie pitcher ever to start an All-Star Game. He’ll be the first Pirates pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Rick Reuschel in 1987.
No rookie pitcher has generated this much buzz throughout baseball since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981. Valenzuela started the All-Star Game that year. But that game was the resumption of the season after a mid-season baseball strike that soured much of the public on the game. This will be different. An All-Star Game with Skenes starting just might generate the highest TV ratings ever for the game.
As every astute baseball fan knows, Skenes was the No.1 overall pick in the 2023 June Amateur Draft. Skenes had pitched Louisiana State University to the 2023 College World Series championship. In 19 games for LSU, covering 122 2/3 innings, he was 13-2 with a 1.69 ERA, 0.750 WHIP, 209 strikeouts, and 20 walks. That’s 15.3 strikeouts per nine innings and a 10.45 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
A Highly Anticipated Start
Pirates fans impatient for his debut were rewarded when he was called up to start on May 11. Since his call-up, all he’s done is register a 6-0 record with a 1.90 ERA, 0.920 WHIP, and 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 11 starts. He’s pitched well enough to be 11-0. Twice he’s been removed from games with a no-hitter. The first time was in his second major league start when he no-hit the Chicago Cubs through six innings. On Thursday, he no-hit the Milwaukee Brewers through seven innings. With a fastball that’s been clocked as high as 102 mph, he’s become one of the biggest gate attractions in baseball. He’ll give a boost to an attraction that in recent years has become more of a players’ vacation/lovefest than a highly anticipated competition. We’ll see whether Skenes can add another memorable performance for the Pirates in the All-Star Game.
The American League has not yet named his mound opponent or the batting order Skenes will be facing.
Main Photo Credits: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
