Pirates rookie ace Skenes named All-Star starter
Rookie sensation Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates will start for the National League at Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas.
The right-hander, 22, was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft and has started only 11 games in the major leagues.
“It’s cool,” Skenes said before Friday night’s game at the Chicago White Sox. “Being able to say you started an All-Star Game in the first place is cool, but getting an opportunity to do it in my rookie year is really cool also. I’m just going to try and take it in.”
National League All-Star manager Torey Lovullo of the Arizona Diamondbacks informed Skenes and the public of his decision Friday morning by calling into Skenes’ interview on the “Dan Patrick Show.”
“Paul, first of all, how are you doing? I just wanted to congratulate you. I’ve chosen you to be the starter for the National League in the 2024 All-Star Game,” Lovullo said. “I’m really, really excited for you. Unbelievable honor. So well deserved. We’re super excited to make this announcement.
“You represent so many great things that this game craves. It’s such a great story. The way you’ve come on the scene, the way you’ve done it with such humbleness, it’s noticeable. I’ll be honored to be your manager. I’ll be honored to see you throw your first pitch.”
Patrick asked Lovullo, “Is Paul on a pitch count?”
Lovullo replied with laughter.
“We’ll see what’s going on there. We’ve got 11 guys to get there. Paul’s going to throw up a big zero in the first inning for us and we’ll take it from there,” Lovullo said.
Skenes improved to 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA when he tossed seven no-hit innings with 11 strikeouts in a 1-0 win Thursday at Milwaukee.
The 6-foot-6 Skenes made his MLB debut on May 11 and has struck out 89 batters with 13 walks across 66⅓ innings this season. He has the most punchouts with a sub-2.00 ERA through 11 starts since ERA became an official statistic in 1913, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
He becomes just the fifth rookie pitcher to start the All-Star Game — the first in nearly 30 years. He joins Hideo Nomo (1995), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), Mark Fidrych (1976) and Dave Stenhouse (1962).
Skenes’ odds to win National League Rookie of the Year moved from -350 to -600 at ESPN BET after Thursday’s start. His Cy Young odds moved from 30-1 to +650, the third-shortest odds in the market at ESPN BET.
Skenes is also the first Pirates pitcher to start the Midsummer Classic since Jerry Reuss in 1975.
Information from ESPN’s Jesse Rogers and Field Level Media was used in this report.
