MLB rookie Paul Skenes is ready for his long-awaited major league pitching debut.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 Draft was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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Skenes blazed a trail through the minors with his scorching 100 mph fastball.
A former Louisiana State star, the right-hander is scheduled to debut for the Pirates on Saturday, May 11.
He will face the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Skenes is currently ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline.
He leads the rookie pitching rankings and dominated with Triple-A Indianapolis.
The 21-year-old recorded a 0.99 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings.
He lit up the minors with his triple-digit fastball, but he also has a slider and curveball in his arsenal.
During spring training, Baltimore Orioles infielder and former No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday marveled at Skenes’ power on the mound.
“I think he was probably throwing 110 mph,” he told MLB.com, “that’s what it looked like.
“If he keeps playing like this, it won’t be long until he’s in the big leagues.”
In college, Skenes led LSU to the 2023 College World Series title and was the Division I National Player of the Year.
He met college gymnast sensation Olivia Dunne in Baton Rouge, with the two dating since last summer.
Dunne is among the highest-earning college athletes in the country and is currently in his fifth and final year at LSU.
She was part of the LSU Tigers gymnastics team that recently won the NCAA title.
Dunne is likely to be in attendance as Skenes makes his long-awaited MLB debut.
DUNNE AND SKENES’ SUMMER OF LOVE
Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes managed to keep their relationship a secret before finally going public last summer.
The two met at LSU, but it’s unclear when they started dating.
Rumors of a romance began when Dunne watched LSU win the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, last summer.
And Dunne posted selfies from Fort Myers, Fla., where Skenes was playing.
He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and began his professional career playing in the minor leagues in the Sunshine State.
The final clue came when Dunne posed in a Pirates cap before the pair finally went public.
“I already picked out my clothes!” she said TMZ Sports while at Raising Cane’s last week.
“He’s a great guy and we support each other through everything. He definitely makes me a better person.”
But Skenes revealed it has been difficult adjusting to the level of fame surrounding the pair.
“Sometimes it can be a pain in the ass, to be honest, in terms of actually going somewhere,” Skenes told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
“If one of us went to Baton Rouge alone, there would probably be someone there asking for something – photo, autograph, anything.
“It’s nice to be able to have this conversation. She understands. I wish she could go to a baseball game and just have fun.
“It pisses me off. I don’t have any control over it. Neither does she. I’m sure it will get better as I level up, but that’s something I want for her.”
The Pirates are currently 17-21 in the MLB regular season after a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.
Skenes will start in the second game of a four-game series against the Cubs (22-16).
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
