PHOENIX — Making Paul Skenes the starting pitcher for the National League All-Star Game after just 11 career games was a difficult decision for Arizona manager Torey Lovullo, but he felt it was the right decision.
The positive vibes he received following Friday’s announcement only made the coach more confident.
“I think I got it right,” Lovullo said.
Skenes will become the fifth rookie pitcher to earn that honor when he takes the mound Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas. Lovullo, who will lead the NL team, made the announcement Friday on SiriusXM MLB Network Radio.
“It’s really cool,” Skenes said in Chicago. “There are a lot of really good pitchers who are equally deserving. Even being in the conversation is really cool. Being named starter is surreal.”
A 21-year-old right-hander, Skenes was selected by Pittsburgh with the first pick in last year’s amateur draft. He made his major league debut on May 11 and is 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA, striking out 89 and walking 13 in 66 1/3 innings.
“I think he’s right in this game,” Lovullo said Friday at Chase Field. “It’s a game of opportunities and he clearly made the most of his time here. His Wins Above Replacement is as high as anyone and that’s something I’ve observed.”
Lovullo said he spent four or five days making the decision, asking several of his gaming friends for their opinions. He also asked the Diamondbacks club players what they thought.
“I felt like if I took the temperature of our clubhouse, it would be very close to the temperature of other clubhouses,” Lovullo said. “And the temperature in our club was ‘The guy is really good’.”
He’s also fun to watch, throwing fastballs at hitters at a phenomenal rate.
His first All-Star Game entry should be must-see TV. The American League roster will likely include a combination of Gunnar Henderson, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, three of the best sluggers in the game.
“I didn’t think much about the All-Star Game,” Skenes said. “Now I know I’m going to pitch and I have a rough idea of what the lineup might be.”
Skenes has thrown 75 pitches of 100 mph or more and his average four-seam fastball velocity of 99.1 mph is at the top of the major leagues among those with 1,000 or more pitches. He threw seven hitless innings at Milwaukee on Thursday and was removed after 99 pitches.
“Some very, very good prospects have withdrawn due to injuries or the fact that they pitched on Sunday,” Lovullo said. “The answer became increasingly clear. And certainly what Paul did yesterday really destroyed the idea that he should be the guy.”
Dave Stenhouse (1962), Mark Fidrych (1976), Fernando Valenzuela (1981) and Hideo Nomo (1995) are the other rookies to start an All-Star Game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Skenes’ 11 career major league games will be the fewest appearances by a player in an All-Star Game, according to Elias. Fidrych and Nomo had 13 each.
Skenes will be the first Pittsburgh pitcher to start an All-Star Game since 1975, when Jerry Reuss threw three scoreless innings.
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AP freelance writer Scott Held in Chicago contributed to this report.
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This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
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