Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was picked for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Sunday, just eight weeks after the former LSU star made his debut in the big league.
Meanwhile, the MLB-leading Philadelphia Phillies have the most selections, with seven overall, now that pitchers and reserve players have been added to the rosters for the American League and the National League in the Midsummer Classic.
Skenes, who turned 22 in May, was selected by the Pirates as the top pick in last year’s amateur draft, two days before the 2023 MLB All-Star Game in Seattle and weeks after helping LSU win the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. He made his first MLB start on May 11 and is 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 10 starts and 78 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings. He has thrown 74 pitches of 100 mph or more.
Skenes’ final outing before the midseason break is likely to be at midweek, so he could be a possibility to start for the NL on July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
“That’d be cool. No expectations,” he said. “I don’t know who gets to decide that kind of thing, but that’d definitely be cool.”