Paul Skenes has arrived for the Pittsburgh Pirates, much to the delight of his girlfriend, Olivia Dunne.
The Pirates posted on social media announcing that Skenes will be making his Major League debut on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
LSU gymnast and social media sensation Olivia Dunne celebrated her boyfriend’s arrival by sharing the above video captioned “…here we go! @paulskenes @mlb” on her Instagram story and resharing this post from LSU baseball.
Pittsburgh opted for Skenes over Wyatt Langford and former LSU teammate Dylan Crews in last year’s MLB draft after his stellar performance leading the Tigers to a national championship as a junior, boasting a remarkable 1.69 ERA and 209 strikeouts.
Standing 6-foot-6, the right-hander has maintained his dominance in the minor leagues.
In seven starts for Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate, Skenes has conceded just four runs (three earned) while striking out an impressive 45 batters in 27.1 innings.
He has issued eight walks and surrendered only 17 hits, showcasing a blazing fastball consistently hitting 100 mph.
With four consecutive scoreless outings under his belt, Skenes has proven himself in Triple-A.
Apart from delaying the start of his service clock, the Pirates had little reason to keep him in the minors any longer.
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Skenes will bolster a Pirates rotation led by fellow standout rookie Jared Jones.
Despite Pittsburgh’s 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, which brought their record to 17-21, the presence of these two rookie pitchers offers promise for a team looking to turn things around.
However, Skenes may face limitations initially in his MLB career, having pitched five or more innings in just one appearance this year.
The anticipation surrounding Skenes’ debut rivals that of Stephen Strasburg’s arrival with the Washington Nationals in 2010.
Like the phenom drafted 15 years ago, Skenes’ potential success may hinge on his health as he aims to establish himself as a top-tier pitcher.
