Paul Skenes added the latest accomplishment to his already impressive career on Tuesday, becoming the first rookie to start the MLB All-Star Game as a pitcher since 1995.
That All-Star festivities were held in Arlington, Texas, and it just happened to coincide with the 2024 SEC Media Days, which are being held in Dallas this week in anticipation of Texas and Oklahoma’s addition to the SEC.
SEC commissioner [autotag]Greg Sankey[/autotag] managed to slip away from his duties to catch the Home Run Derby, and that included catching up with Skenes, who turned in one of the best pitching seasons in league history.
“It was neat, in the fact at the Home Run Derby I sat down in the third base dugout with our T-Mobile friends. They were kind enough to host us there and Paul ended up sitting right in front of me,” Sankey said per On3. “They had all the All-Stars out in their team uniforms, which you knew everybody was, and so we had a five-minute chat.
“We were talking about Hoover, and Omaha, and his experience pitching in the SEC, and then you watch him walk out there to start a Major League Baseball game. You’re like, he was in that police motorcade to and from the Wynfrey a little over a year ago. So great for him, great for the league.”
After striking out 200 batters with a sub-2.00 ERA as LSU’s ace in 2023, Skenes quickly rose through the minors and made his Major League debut earlier this season.
He’s still undefeated as a starter and currently holds a sub-2.00 ERA at the highest level of baseball.
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