On Saturday in Pittsburgh, Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes will make his major-league debut against the Chicago Cubs. The Pirates announced Skenes’ promotion Wednesday, while lined him up to take a big-league mound for the first time this weekend. Skenes’ call-up comes after a dominant run in Triple-A this season. The No. 1 overall pick last year out of LSU, Skenes boasts a triple-digit fastball, and in 34 minor-league innings spread across 12 starts, he’s pitched to a 1.85 ERA with 55 strikeouts and 10 walks.
Coming into the 2024 season, CBS Sports ranked Skenes as the top pitching prospect and No. 10 overall prospect in all of baseball. Here’s part of R.J. Anderson’s February write-up on Skenes:
“Skenes went No. 1 in July’s draft on the basis of his power arsenal and his proximity to the majors. His fastball clocked in around 98 mph during a late-season appearance in the Florida State League, and his slider has proven to be an effective chase offering. Turns out he didn’t strike out nearly 48% of the batters he faced during SEC play by accident. Even so, Skenes was more polarizing in scouting circles than the above information indicates. His fastball’s shape has “dead zone” properties, a fancy way of saying it’s easier to track because of a similar amount of vertical and horizontal movement.”
It’s fair to say this may be the most anticipated big-league debut by a pitcher since Stephen Strasburg in 2010, or perhaps Gerrit Cole’s debut for these very same Pirates in 2013. As such, Skenes’ first MLB start is appointment viewing, and here’s how you can tune in.
Cubs vs. Pirates
Date: Saturday, May 10 | Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh
Live stream: fuboTV (try for free), MLB.TV | TV: MLB Network, SportsNet-PIT, Marquee Sports Network
Probable pitchers: RHP Justin Steele (0-0, 0.96 ERA) vs. RHP Paul Skenes (0-0, — ERA)
While Skenes is, of course, the headliner in this one, Saturday’s game also occasions Steele’s second start since returning from the injured list. The Cubs’ ace missed almost a month and a half with a hamstring injury.
As for Skenes, he topped out at 75 pitches this season, so this will potentially be a shorter outing for him. Earlier this season, Skenes’ new teammate Jared Jones became the first Pirates pitcher to strike out 10 or more batters in his debut since Tim Wakefield in 1992.
