Paul Skenes lives up to expectations.
In fact, he’s past it.
The LSU product was the first overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in last year’s MLB draft and was promoted earlier this season after a dominant performance in the minor leagues.
At the time he got the call, Skenes was the best pitching prospect in baseball and ranked third overall.
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Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the third inning of a game against the New York Mets at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on July 5, 2024. (Justin Baer/Getty Images)
Now he is one of the best pitchers in baseball.
Coming into Friday night, the 22-year-old had a 2.06 ERA in nine MLB starts, allowing three runs or fewer in each appearance. The only time he allowed three runs came in his MLB debut.
He regularly clocks in at 100 mph on the radar gun and has a devastating off-speed pitch that makes him a strikeout machine.
Friday marked his 10th major league start and ninth time he recorded seven or more strikeouts, setting a major league record for most strikeouts in a player’s first 10 starts of a career.
The only other time he didn’t strike out that many batters was on May 23 in his third start against the San Francisco Giants, when he only struck out three batters.
Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the first inning of a game against the New York Mets at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on July 5, 2024. (Justin Baer/Getty Images)
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Since then, he has recorded seven or more strikeouts in seven consecutive games, a franchise record that dates back to 1882.
His strikeout numbers so far are the highest of his career, with 11 coming in just his second start against the Chicago Cubs.
On Friday, Skenes gave up two runs in seven innings and struck out eight for the New York Mets. His ERA rose to 2.08.
He and fellow rookie Jarrett Jones helped the Pirates stay in wild-card contention — they were four games behind going into the night — and seem to have found their ace for years to come.
Pittsburgh Pirates player Paul Skenes walks to the dugout after the top of the first inning during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at PNC Park on June 23, 2024 in Pittsburgh. (Justin Baer/Getty Images)
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His famous mustache and relationship with Louisiana State University gymnast Livi Dunn have also helped him achieve superstar status across the country, but he doesn’t need much off the field to endear himself to Buccaneers fans.
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