The wishes of Pirates fans were finally granted on May 11 when Paul Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, took the mound for his first major league start.
Skenes showed off his electric stuff against the Cubs, striking out seven batters in four-plus innings. He repeatedly popped Yasmani Grandal's glove with his fastball, topping 100 mph 17 times on his 84 pitches. At one point, Skenes hit 101.9 mph on the radar gun, marking the fastest pitch ever record by a Pirate in the tracking era (since 2008).
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The 21-year-old struggled a bit with his command, but as Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton noted, Skenes may have been "over-amped" heading into his debut at PNC Park.
"I mean the crowd was into it," Shelton said. "That was fun. ... I think he'll learn from it and be able to build off it, but overall, the stuff is really good."
Skenes will be a key part of the Pirates' rebuilding efforts as they look to reach the postseason for the first time since 2015. If the former LSU star is able to exceed the hype, his jersey will be flying off the shelves, so you might want to buy one right now.
How to buy Paul Skenes Pittsburgh Pirates jersey on Fanatics
Paul Skenes' Pittsburgh Pirates jersey is now available on the Fanatics website. You can purchase a jersey by clicking on one of the links below.
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Pittsburgh Pirates schedule 2024
Here is the Pirates' schedule through the end of June:
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| May 17 | at Cubs | 2:20 p.m. |
| May 18 | at Cubs | 2:20 p.m. |
| May 19 | at Cubs | 2:20 p.m. |
| May 21 | vs. Giants | 6:40 p.m. |
| May 22 | vs. Giants | 6:40 p.m. |
| May 23 | vs. Giants | 12:35 p.m. |
| May 24 | vs. Braves | 6:40 p.m. |
| May 25 | vs. Braves | 4:05 p.m. |
| May 26 | vs. Braves | 1:35 p.m. |
| May 28 | at Tigers | 6:40 p.m. |
| May 29 | at Tigers | 1:10 p.m. |
| May 31 | at Blue Jays | 7:07 p.m. |
| June 1 | at Blue Jays | 3:07 p.m. |
| June 2 | at Blue Jays | 1:37 p.m. |
| June 4 | vs. Dodgers | 6:40 p.m. |
| June 5 | vs. Dodgers | 6:40 p.m. |
| June 6 | vs. Dodgers | 6:40 p.m. |
| June 7 | vs. Twins | 6:40 p.m. |
| June 8 | vs. Twins | 4:05 p.m. |
| June 9 | vs. Twins | 1:35 p.m. |
| June 11 | at Cardinals | 7:45 p.m. |
| June 12 | at Cardinals | 7:45 p.m. |
| June 13 | at Cardinals | 2:15 p.m. |
| June 14 | at Rockies | 8:40 p.m. |
| June 15 | at Rockies | 9:10 p.m. |
| June 16 | at Rockies | 3:10 p.m. |
| June 17 | vs. Reds | 6:40 p.m. |
| June 18 | vs. Reds | 6:40 p.m. |
| June 19 | vs. Reds | 12:35 p.m. |
| June 21 | vs. Rays | 6:40 p.m. |
| June 22 | vs. Rays | 4:05 p.m. |
| June 23 | vs. Rays | 1:35 p.m. |
| June 24 | at Reds | 7:10 p.m. |
| June 25 | at Reds | 7:10 p.m. |
| June 26 | at Reds | 1:10 p.m. |
| June 28 | at Braves | 7:20 p.m. |
| June 29 | at Braves | 4:10 p.m. |
| June 30 | at Braves | 11:35 a.m. |
Paul Skenes stats
LSU (2023)
- 13-2 record (19 starts)
- 122.2 IP
- 1.69 ERA
- 0.750 WHIP
- 209 SO
- 20 BB
Indianapolis (2024)
- 0-0 record (7 starts)
- 27.1 IP
- 0.99 ERA
- 0.915 WHIP
- 45 SO
- 8 BB