Pirates top pick Paul Skenes set to make Single-A debut for Bradenton
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Paul Skenes, selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, will make his Single-A debut Tuesday for the Low-A Bradenton Marauders against Lakeland at LECOM Park.
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound right-hander from LSU, who was named most outstanding player of the College World Series in leading the Tigers to their seventh national championship, made his professional debut Thursday for the Florida Complex League Pirates.
No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes was lighting up the radar gun in his first pro game. ???? pic.twitter.com/sGeV8e6vL6
— MLB (@MLB) August 11, 2023
Skenes completed a 1-2-3 inning, throwing eight of his 11 pitches for strikes. He threw 10 four-seam fastballs that registered between 99-101 mph, touching triple digits seven times, and recorded a groundout, flyout and a strikeout of No. 5 overall pick Walker Jenkins.
Skenes signed with the Pirates for an MLB Draft-record $9.2 million bonus July 18. MLB Pipeline ranks Skenes the No. 3 prospect in baseball, Baseball America ranks him No. 4 and FanGraphs No. 7.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton said he is following Skenes from afar.
“I haven’t watched very many Complex games, but I did watch that,” Shelton said. “It’s impressive. If I don’t see (Skenes’ debut) before the game, I’ll see it after the game. I will be aware.”