Previewing Paul Skenes’ MLB debut for Pirates vs. Cubs on May 11

The Pittsburgh Pirates were given the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft from the league’s first-ever draft lottery. The Pirates used the choice to select LSU starting pitcher Paul Skenes, who was coming off a College World Series win with the Tigers. He was named the CWS Most Outstanding Player and was the SEC Pitcher of the Year. Despite his professional career being less than a year old, the Pirates are calling up Skenes to make his MLB debut and they announced it with a WWE-esque promo video.

The 21-year-old Skenes will make his first career big league start against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, May 11. He shot up the minor leagues, as he made stops in the franchise’s rookie, Single-A and Double-A levels after being drafted in 2023. Skenes began 2024 with the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis. So far, he has started seven games and has pitched 27.1 innings. Skenes hasn’t tallied a win or a loss but has a 0.99 ERA with 45 strikeouts. He leaves the minor leagues with a 2.12 ERA and 55 strikeouts over 34 innings, and somehow managed to avoid taking a decision in any game.

Pittsburgh definitely needs a spark. The Pirates are 17-21 but have gone 4-10 over their last 14 games. The addition of Skenes will hopefully help them start to right the ship, but he can only do so much pitching every five days. As a team, Pittsburgh actually has the 11th-best ERA in the league, and the starting rotation has the ninth-best. Skenes isn’t going to help Pittsburgh’s fourth-lowest .220 team batting average. or the fact they have the fifth-most strikeouts at the plate this season. But, the rookie will hopefully provide another starting pitcher that can limit opposing offenses as he prays for consistent run support.

Skenes will pitch the second game of the NL Central divisional series against the Cubs. First pitch is set for 4:05 p.m. ET from PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Chicago is tied for the divisional lead with a 22-16 record heading into Friday’s series opener. Skenes will be looking to make a statement in his debut while trying to avoid mistake pitches. Since leaving LSU, he has pitched more than 4.1 innings in just one appearance, so even seeing him pitch into the fifth inning or further in his start would be a positive sign.

Fantasy Baseball Impact

Skenes is rostered in 60.7% of ESPN leagues. His rostership has skyrocketed since the team released its announcement video, up 32.7% from before the video. Starting pitchers have been decimated by elbow injuries this season. If you’ve had to rotate probable pitchers that are healthy to round out your roster, you could make the switch with Skenes. Despite limited time in the minor leagues, he has admittedly just mowed down hitters at every level he has been at. The rookie will likely give up runs in the transition to the big leagues, but his strikeout numbers could offset it and make him a worthy add.

What on Earth is a Splinker?

Skenes is known for his fastball which sits at or above 100 mph consistently through his starts. Unfortunately for opposing hitters, it isn’t the only pitch you need to look out for. Skenes also comes with a slider, changeup, curveball and something that has been deemed a “splinker.” The term was coined by teammate Henry Davis and refers to a pitch that is part splitter and part sinker. The best way to describe it is that it spins like a splitter, but breaks arm side like a good sinker. His Splinker has an average velocity of 94.7 mph but will break nearly 15 inches inside on right-handed hitters and away from lefties.

Skenes’ curveball isn’t a pitch that he is going to lean on, but it is something he has in his back pocket. He threw 11 of them in Triple-A this season, with nearly half coming in a 0-0 count. Don’t be surprised if he mainly leans on his fastball on Saturday. Skenes leads Triple-A as a whole with 98 pitches that have been at least 100 mph. Michael Otanez has the second-most with 37. Even if you include the major leagues, Skenes would still have the most. His fastball alone should keep eyes on his debut and him competitive in at-bats, but his Splinker will be the pitch that keeps him in the game.