The Pittsburgh Pirates will call up 21-year-old flamethrower pitcher Paul Skeens just 10 months after drafting him No. 1 overall, the team announced in a tweet Wednesday.
The Pirates selected Skeens with the first overall pick in the 2023 draft. Since then, he has continued to light up the minor leagues with his fastball. He regularly exceeds 160 mph on the field, with 98 of the 422 pitches he has thrown in the minors this season going over 100 mph. according to In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He averaged 99.9 mph on the field, according to the paper.
PS…See you again. 😏 pic.twitter.com/r3Uv8vE1qA
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 8, 2024
Skeens’ quick call-up is not unprecedented, but it is highly unusual. If he is officially called up on Friday, it will have been 306 days since he was drafted by the Pirates. Only 22 players in MLB history have been promoted faster. according to To Baseball America. (Related: Up-and-coming MLB superstar saves the game with heroic home run robbery)
It may be a sudden decision, but it doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. Skeens has been tearing apart the minors.He had already reached No. 3 in MLB. Top 100 prospect list, No. 1 among pitchers. The two players above him, Jackson Choriot and Jackson Holiday, had already been called up (although Holiday had already been sent back to the minors).
His AAA numbers are insane. He pitched 27.1 innings with only three earned runs and a good 0.99 ERA. He earned his 45 strikeouts and his strikeout-to-walk ratio was an impressive 5.63.
This kid is ready to take the league by storm. And in combination with current Pirates ace Jared Jones, Pittsburgh has just created one of the most lethal young one-two punches in the league. I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can do.
