PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates will promote top pitcher Paul Skenes for his major league debut on Saturday, a person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity on Wednesday because the Pirates had not explicitly announced the promotion, although the club sent a advertising campaign video from Skenes with “5.11.24”.
Skenes was the first overall pick in LSU’s 2023 amateur draft. The 21-year-old right-hander is 0-0 with a 0.99 ERA in seven Triple-A starts, with 45 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings.
He is considered one of baseball’s top prospects and possesses unusual star power for a baseball newcomer, in part because of his relationship with LSU gymnast and social media influencer Livvy Dunne.
The Pirates host the Cubs on Saturday.
