Paul David Skenes...Went 13-2 with five shutouts, two complete games, a 1.69 ERA (122.2ip/23er), SEC-record 209 strikeouts, 20 walks and .165 batting average against in 19 starts for the NCAA-champion LSU Tigers in 2023....Took home 2023 D1Baseball Player-of-the-Year honors while also being named the SEC Pitcher-of-the-Year...Won the College World Series Most Outstanding Player award after going 1-0 with a 1.15 ERA and 21 strikeouts in two starts in Omaha in 2023...Took home the Dick Howser Award (national college baseball player of the year) in 2023 after finishing second in the nation in ERA (1.69), third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (10.45), and fifth in hits allowed per 9.0 innings (5.28)...Became the first LSU player to be selected No. 1 overall since Ben McDonald was picked by Baltimore in 1989...Attended El Toro (Calif.) High School, where he was a three-year letter-winner and team captain as a senior...His favorite team growing up was the Los Angeles Angels...Spent the first two years of his collegiate career at the Air Force Academy, where he earned the 2022 John Olerud Award as the nation’s best two-way player...Was a member of Cadet Squadron 9...Also saw time at catcher at Air Force Academy...Majored in military strategic studies while at Air Force...Signed by Pirates scout Wayne Mathis.
2023
Threw a total of 6.2 innings in a combined five starts between the Florida Complex League Pirates, Low-A Bradenton and Double-A Altoona after being selected No. 1 overall in the draft earlier in the summer… Tossed 1.0 scoreless inning in his professional debut against the Florida Complex League Twins on 8/10…Was promoted to Low-A Bradenton on 8/15, where he threw 11 of his 16 pitches for strikes in his start that night vs. Lakeland in 1.0 scoreless inning…Faced a total of eight batters in 2.0 scoreless innings in his second start with Bradenton on 8/20 vs. Lakeland…Was promoted to Altoona on 8/21… Was scored upon for the only time after allowing four runs on three hits in 0.2 inning in his Curve debut on 8/26 vs. Akron…Struck out three of the seven batters he faced in 2.0 scoreless innings in his final start on 9/1 at Erie.
