Paul Skenes

Paul David Skenes (, born May 29, 2002) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2024. Skenes played college baseball for the Air Force Falcons and Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers. Skenes was born and raised in Orange County, California, where he attended El Toro High School and played three seasons of varsity baseball. Skenes initially attended the United States Air Force Academy and won the John Olerud Award, given annually to the best two-way player in college baseball, in 2022. Ahead of his junior season, Skenes transferred to LSU, where he won Southeastern Conference and national pitcher of the year honors as well as the Dick Howser Trophy. Skenes was part of the LSU pitching staff during the team's 2023 Men's College World Series championship win and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Skenes entered the 2023 MLB draft as one of its most anticipated prospects and considered by some as the best pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg. Skenes was selected first overall by the Pirates and signed to a $9.2 million bonus. After working through the Pirates’ farm system in just one season, he made his MLB debut in May 2024 and was named the starting pitcher for the National League in the 2024 All-Star Game, becoming only the fifth rookie in MLB history to do so. Skenes was named to his second All-Star Game in 2025. He won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2024 and the NL Cy Young Award in 2025, becoming the first player to win those awards in consecutive seasons since Dwight Gooden did it in the 1984 and 1985 seasons.