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Top Pitching Prospect Allows First Home Run
Paul Skenes, hailed as the premier pitching prospect in baseball, has been dominating opposing hitters in Triple-A. However, the promising right-hander for the future Pittsburgh Pirates faced a significant milestone on Sunday when he surrendered his first home run in his professional career.
Pitching for Indianapolis, Skenes yielded a solo home run to Buffalo outfielder Will Robertson, a prospect for the Toronto Blue Jays, during the fifth inning of the game. This marked Skenes’ first long ball given up in his 33⅔ innings in the minor leagues over the past two seasons.
At the age of 21, Skenes managed to retire one more batter before exiting the game after 4⅓ innings. He conceded two runs on three hits, with four strikeouts and two walks, throwing a total of 66 pitches.
Despite allowing two earned runs for the first time in the current season, Skenes maintains an impressive ERA of just 0.99. Throughout the season, he has given up a total of four runs (three earned) on 17 hits, while racking up 45 strikeouts and issuing eight walks over 27⅓ innings.
Path to the Majors
The Pittsburgh Pirates are anticipated to promote Skenes at some point in 2024, following their selection of him as the No. 1 overall pick in the July 2023 draft, accompanied by a record-breaking $9.2 million signing bonus.
The Pirates have been cautious with his workload in the minors, as Skenes has not exceeded 75 pitches in a game this season. Sunday’s game marked the first instance of him pitching with only four days of rest.
Speaking to 93.7 The Fan earlier on Sunday, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington shared his perspective on Skenes’ latest performance, emphasizing its significance in the young pitcher’s journey to the major leagues.
“We talk about boxes being checked, and today would be another one,” Cherington expressed to The Fan. “It’s the first time, as a professional … that he’ll be starting a game on four days’ rest. It may not seem like a big deal, but it is the first time it’ll happen, and it’s another box to check. He’s been checking just about every box since the season started and responding incredibly well.”
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