No. 1 Draft pick already dominating pro hitters with triple-digit heat
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PITTSBURGH -- Right-hander Paul Skenes made his first appearance since being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, retiring all three batters he faced for the Rookie-level Florida Coast League Pirates on Thursday.
Skenes began his outing by getting center fielder Byron Chourio to ground out on a 99 mph four-seam fastball. Three pitches later, Skenes induced a flyout off the bat of shortstop Brandon Winokur. The right-hander concluded his brief outing by striking out designated hitter Walker Jenkins, the fifth overall pick in this year's Draft, with an elevated 99 mph four-seam fastball.
In total, Skenes threw 11 pitches, eight of which he landed for strikes. Of those 11 pitches, Skenes fired 10 fastballs that sat in the 99- to 101-mph range. Skenes broke a bat as well.
This outing marked Skenes' first appearance in game action since June 22, when the former LSU star threw eight scoreless innings against Wake Forest during the College World Series.
In his lone season with LSU, Skenes had a 1.69 ERA with 209 strikeouts against 20 walks in 122 2/3 innings en route to winning a national championship and a laundry list of accolades and awards.
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