Done anything interesting in the past year and a half? Here is the short list of what 22-year-old Paul Skenes has done in the past 17 months: won the College Wo
Here is the short list of what 22-year-old Paul Skenes has done in the past 17 months: won the College World Series at LSU, was drafted first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates, signed the largest bonus in draft history , started the All-Star Game after just 11 starts in the majors, posted the lowest ERA by a rookie pitcher in the 112-year official history of earned runs and Monday nightSkenes is on a rocket ship to stardom.
The night was a rare great night for the waning craft of starting pitching. Skenes and Luis Gil, 26, of the New York Yankees became only the third pair of starting pitchers to sweep the ROY awards, and the first since the late Fernando Valenzuela and Dave Righetti in 1981. The best way to mitigate the elite velocity risk is to modulate velocity—that is, not maxing out all the time. Skenes does a good job keeping an extra gear in reserve. He also is a complete pitcher who throws his four-seam fastball only 39.2% of the time, ranking 41 out of 98 pitchers who threw 2,000 pitches. His power sinker, a sinker thrown with a split grip, is an even nastier pitch than his four-seamer.
When the White Sox considered drafting Chris Sale in 2007, another pitcher who “lifts the ball with the elbow,” their evaluators debated whether the quirk was a red flag. They decided that Sale was “borderline,” but slightly on the right side of being on time. In winning the ROY, Skenes also is credited with a full year of service time. That means the Pirates’ plan to have him make seven controlled starts in Triple-A instead of the majors came back to bite them. Skenes gets a full year of service anyway and the Pirates don’t get the compensation round draft pick they would have received if they carried Skenes on the Opening Day roster.Hitters have a very tough time getting on base against Skenes.
Similar workloads, similar results in depressing offense. Skenes has the most velocity and steps on the accelerator the least.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Analyst: Pittsburgh Pirates' Paul Skenes 'The Next Great One'Former MLB pitcher and analyst Ron Darlington is high on Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes.
Read more »
Pittsburgh Pirates Top Prospect Learning From Paul SkenesBubba Chandler could be in the big leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates alongside Paul Skenes sooner rather than later.
Read more »
Livvy Dunne reflects on 'full-circle moment' seeing boyfriend Paul Skenes pitch against YankeesLivvy Dunne witnessed her boyfriend, Paul Skenes, cap off his historic MLB season in Yankee Stadium, roughly 15 miles away from her hometown.
Read more »
Padres' Jackson Merrill Wins Rookie of the Year Award Over Pirates' Paul SkenesSan Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill earned his first major accolade for an outstanding rookie season on Thursday.
Read more »
Livvy Dunne shares secret to how relationship with Pirates star Paul Skenes 'really works'Livvy Dunne revealed why her and Paul Skenes work so well together.
Read more »
Livvy Dunne's secret to successful Paul Skenes relationshipLSU gymnast and social media star Livvy Dunne shared the secret to her successful relationship with Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes.
Read more »