Former LSU pitcher and No. 1 overall draft pick [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] made history on Tuesday night, becoming just the fifth rookie pitcher in history to start the MLB All-Star Game and the first since 1995.
Getting the nod for the National League, the budding superstar for the Pittsburgh Pirates saw just one inning of action, but it was a pretty good one as he managed to show off his arsenal of pitches, which includes a routinely 100+ MPH fastball.
He began his outing with a popout and groundout before allowing a full-count walk to New York Yankees star Juan Soto. That brought up cleanup hitter and fellow Yankees star Aaron Judge for a matchup everyone was anticipating.
Judge swung at the first pitch, leading to a routine groundout as Skenes worked through the inning throwing just 16 pitches, 11 of which were strikes. He would not return for the second inning as his brief appearance came to an end.
Paul Skenes finishes his #AllStarGame inning and Livvy Dunne is loving it! pic.twitter.com/JDF1neLtjD
— MLB (@MLB) July 17, 2024
Skenes is the odds-on favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year, and after leading LSU to a national championship in 2023, he’s on his way to becoming one of the best pitchers in baseball at the highest level.
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