New Sensation Paul Skenes of Pittsburgh Pirates He will be the National League’s starting pitcher in Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas.
The 22-year-old right-hander was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft but has started just 11 games in the major leagues.
National League All-Star manager Torey Lovullo Arizona Diamondbacks He called into an interview with Skenes on “The Dan Patrick Show” Friday morning to inform Skenes and the public of his decision.
“Paul, first of all, how are you doing? I want to congratulate you. I’ve selected you to be the National League starting pitcher for the 2024 All-Star Game,” Lovullo said. “I’m really, really excited. It’s an incredible honor. It’s really well-deserved. I’m very excited to make this announcement.”
“You embody so much of what is great about this sport. It’s truly an incredible story. The way you walked out on the stage and did it with humility is remarkable. It was an honor to be your manager and an honor to watch you throw the first pitch.”
Patrick asked Lovullo, “Is Paul included in the pitch count?”
Lovro replied with a laugh.
“We’ll see what happens. We have 11 guys to get there. Paul will hold them to zero in the first inning and we’ll take over from there,” Lovullo said.
Skenes improved to 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA after pitching seven hitless innings and striking out 11 in a 1-0 win over Milwaukee on Thursday.
The 6-foot-6 Skenes made his MLB debut on May 11 and has 89 strikeouts and 13 walks in 66 1/3 innings this season. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Skenes holds the record for most strikeouts with an ERA under 2.00 in 11 starts since ERA became an official statistic in 1913.
He became just the fifth rookie pitcher in nearly 30 years to start in the All-Star Game, joining Hideo Nomo (1995), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), Mark Fidrych (1976) and Dave Stenhouse (1962).
On ESPN BET, Skenes’ odds to win the National League Rookie of the Year award increased from -350 to -600 after Thursday’s game. His odds for the Cy Young Award increased from 30-1 to +650, making him the third-shortest odds in the market on ESPN BET.
Skenes also will be the first Pirates pitcher to start in the Midsummer Classic since Jerry Reuss in 1975.
Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.
