Paul Skenes carved his name deeper into MLB history last Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers. This phenomenal performance unfolded just days after he became the first No. 1 overall MLB draft pick to be named to the All-Star Game the following season.
Let’s rewind to Thursday afternoon: Skenes took the mound in the getaway game for the Pittsburgh Pirates, facing the Brewers before their weekend series with the Chicago White Sox. And, true to form this season, he was absolutely stellar.
His performance was so remarkable that it put Pirates manager Derek Shelton in a tough spot. By the time Skenes induced a groundout to end the seventh inning with a 93-mph splitter, he had thrown his 100th pitch of the day. And here’s the kicker – he hadn’t allowed a single hit.
With the Pirates clinging to a 1-0 lead, Shelton made the difficult decision to pull the rookie, despite Skenes chasing a no-hitter. This wasn't the first time Shelton had to make such a call. Earlier in the season, during Skenes’ second career start against the Chicago Cubs, he was also taken out after six hitless innings, sitting on 100 pitches. On both occasions, Shelton opted to preserve Skenes’ arm rather than push him further.
Despite being denied a shot at baseball immortality, Skenes still etched his name in the history books. He struck out 11 Brewers over seven hitless innings, mirroring the 11 punchouts he recorded against the Cubs in mid-May. This makes Skenes the only other pitcher besides Nolan Ryan in 1973 to have two hitless games of six innings or more with 11 strikeouts in a single season. Though Ryan completed both of those games with no-hitters, given Skenes’ trajectory, it seems like only a matter of time before he achieves that milestone as well.
Skenes’ remarkable season also earned him a spot in the upcoming All-Star Game next Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas. There's buzzing speculation about whether he might start the game for the National League. With a record of 6-0, a 1.90 ERA, and a WHIP of 0.92 over 66.1 innings, Skenes has a strong case. John Smoltz even suggested, “probably yes,” when asked if Skenes deserved the starting nod, while analyst and former pitcher Dan Plesac called Skenes a “slam dunk” to start the All-Star Game on MLB Network Thursday.
If Skenes does get the call, he would be making even more history. He would join the elite group of just four other rookie pitchers in MLB history who started an All-Star Game: Hideo Nomo in 1995, Fernando Valenzuela in 1981, Mark Fidrych in 1976, and Dave Stenhouse in 1962. With just 11 starts under his belt, Skenes would tie Fidrych for the fewest starts by an All-Star Game starting pitcher in their rookie season.
Imagine that – a potential no-hitter and an All-Star Game start all within his first season. Skenes is clearly on a path to becoming one of the most exciting young talents in baseball. It’s safe to say, this is just the beginning of what looks like a legendary career in the making.
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