Pirates rookie starting pitcher Paul Skenes threw another masterpiece on Tuesday against the division-rival Cardinals in a 2-1 road win.
He was so good, in fact, that even St. Louis fans gave him a standing ovation when he left the mound in the bottom of the seventh.
Skenes pitched 6.1 innings, had eight strikeouts and didn’t allow a run. He retired the first 10 batters he faced, but had arguably his most impressive moment when getting out of a fifth-inning jam.
With runners on first and third after allowing two singles, Skenes struck out the next two batters he faced and forced a ground out to end the inning.
With his latest brilliant performance, the No. 1 pick of the 2023 MLB Draft dropped his earned run average this season to 2.43. He pitched into the seventh inning for the first time in his six major league starts, reaching 99 mph while mowing down Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman to start the seventh. Then third baseman Nolan Arenado’s double ended his night.
Since making his debut on May 11, Skenes ranks third in the majors in strikeout rate (12.67 percent) and has the highest four-seam fastball velocity.
Per Codify, Skenes throws at 100 mph or faster on 10.5 percent of his pitches, the highest rate among starters by a wide margin.
Like other recent No. 1 draft picks in the NBA (Victor Wembanyama) and WNBA (Caitlin Clark), Skenes has quickly become an attraction whenever and wherever he plays.
He might just be the hottest ticket this summer.