This zoom-in on a Paul Skenes splinker pitch is absolutely unreal.
Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes has been tormenting opposing MLB batters all season with his devastating splinker pitch.
On Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals, Skenes landed a particularly lethal 95 mph splinker pitch on a batter that the broadcast zeroed in on to show the viewers at home just how the rookie pitcher is able to make this happen.
Watching Skenes throw his signature pitch with this view is absolutely thrilling, as his generational talent is on full display as he earns his third K of the game.
We’re sure he’s not going to go easy on opposing batters any time soon as he continues his stellar first year in the big leagues.
Dylan Crews could be on the fast track to his major league debut.
Former LSU star [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag], the 2023 Golden Spikes Award winner and No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, was having some struggles in the Washington Nationals minor league system earlier this season.
He has put those issues behind him, however, and may now be on the fast track to the big leagues. Crews was called up to Triple-A earlier this summer, and he’s in the midst of an impressive streak for the Rochester Red Wings.
Crews is currently on an eight-game hitting streak, hitting two home runs with five RBI and seven walks in that span. In 23 total games at the Triple-A level, he’s batting .257 with five doubles, four home runs and 14 RBI.
Crews’ college teammate and first overall pick [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] already made his rookie debut earlier this season, earning All-Star honors for the National League amid an impressive campaign. With his play in the minors picking up, Crews will hope to join Skenes in The Show sooner rather than later.
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Angel Reese recorded a double-double coming off the bench in an impressive All-Star Game showing.
LSU already saw one rookie star make an appearance in an All-Star Game earlier this month as [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] started the MLB All-Star Game for the National League, and on Saturday night, it was Angel Reese’s turn.
The Chicago Sky rookie has taken the WNBA by storm, setting a league record for consecutive double-doubles while earning All-Star honors in her first season.
She came off the bench for Team WNBA in a 117-109 upset win over Team USA, but she certainly made an impact in her 18 minutes. She finished with a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double as she continues to make her case for Rookie of the Year.
Here are the best photos from Reese at All-Star Weekend.
LSU baseball has all the tools to win a national title in 2024. Now, it’s about putting the pieces together.
The summer of 2022 was a good one for LSU baseball. [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] knew players like [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag] were returning while adding superstars [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] and [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] in the transfer portal. It made LSU the consensus No. 1 entering 2023, with some calling it a dream team.
That group fit the billing, going on to win the national title a year later.
This summer has been a similar flood of positive news for Jay Johnson’s squad. According to 64Analytics, the Tigers have the top transfer class in college baseball. LSU survived the MLB draft largely unscathed and with a few surprises.
Star high school pitcher [autotag]William Schmidt[/autotag] pulled his name from draft boards and announced his decision to attend LSU. Key contributors from the 2024 squad, first baseman [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] and shortstop [autotag]Michael Braswell[/autotag], both announced their return to school.
Quick Saturday morning update with some commits from last night. With @LSUbaseball getting a commitment from Connor Benge, they've jumped to the #1 spot in the Team Rankings. pic.twitter.com/Ai75LzdfEh
I’m not saying the 2025 squad will be a dream team on the level of 2023. We may never see that assembly of talent again in college baseball. LSU hasn’t added a Skenes or White in the portal, but those players aren’t there every year. There’s no Dylan Crews or Tre Morgan either, even if LSU’s lineup does have potential to be among the nation’s best.
Regardless, LSU is positioning itself to be a true national title contender in 2025. Questions about the pitching staff remain, but the portal work has built enough depth for a few solid options to emerge. Jones should take another step forward as a slugger and second basemen [autotag]Steven Milam[/autotag] is set to become a superstar.
Don’t forget about [autotag]Jake Brown[/autotag], who had several impressive moments as a true freshman down the stretch.
It’s a team that will be battle-tested after facing adversity in 2024 and seeing its season come to a heartbreaking end in the Chapel Hill Regional.
Johnson, having managed a team filled with stars in 2023 and a team that needed some work in 2024, has proven he can win in different ways. Next year, we’ll see a combo of the two styles. It will be a team with strong portal reinforcements, but much of the core will come through high school recruiting and retaining what LSU already has.
After a disappointing 2024, the pressure will be turned on again next year. How this group deals with that will be something to watch, but the veteran presence is there.
Johnson knows his gig is the best job in the country. It’s because it doesn’t take much effort to assemble a team like this. LSU has all the tools to win another national title in 2025, now it’s just about putting the pieces together.
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Analyzing the NL Rookie of the Year award picks and prediction odds, including expert predictions and best bets.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]
Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Paul Skenes took center stage in the 2024 All-Star Game, pitching a perfect 1st inning. The rookie phenom hit 100 mph twice. He is 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and a 12.1 K/9 over 11 starts this season. His 4-seam fastball is averaging an absurd 99.1 mph.
As such, Skenes is a massive favorite (-1200) to win NL Rookie of the Year, per BetMGM Sportsbook. There is some serious risk here, though. He has thrown 66 1/3 innings in the majors, 27 1/3 innings in the minors (Triple-A Indianapolis) and another inning in the All-Star Game for a total of 94 2/3 innings since March 30 — and we’re not even counting spring training.
He threw 136 innings between his senior season at LSU and the minor leagues last year. So, realistically, we’re looking at a 145-150 inning limit, which leaves him with roughly 50-55 innings to go.
One more thing to consider, Skenes has had a heavy pitch count through his 11 starts, averaging 97.4 pitches per outing with 4 eclipsing 100. That could lead the Pirates to limit his innings even more. The Pirates are just 1½ games back from a Wild Card spot, which means they could skip him more frequently after the All-Star break so he’s available down the stretch. That could lead to a dip in production.
Throw out the pandemic-shortened 2020 season where Brewers RP Devin Williams won NL ROY, and Shohei Ohtani‘s 2018 in which he mostly won with his bat with the Angels, we haven’t had pitcher win ROY since Tigers SP Michael Fulmer did it in 2016. He had an OK season at 11-7 with a 3.06 ERA, but his only competition was Yankees C Gary Sanchez, who hit 20 homers but was penalized for only having 201 at-bats (53 games). Fulmer pitched 159 innings (26 starts), and the voters tend to side with guys that play more.
In 2022, Braves RHP Spencer Strider had an electric season, going 11-5 with a 2.67 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 202 K’s in 131 2/3 innings (20 starts, 11 relief appearances). He lost to teammate OF Michael Harris Jr., who had a .297-19-64 slash line in 414 at-bats. Strider’s line looks very close to what Skenes could wind up with, but does the Pirates rookie have the competition for the award?
The 26-year-old 2019 1st-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers is coming on strong. His numbers seem pretty pedestrian at .271 with 12 homers and 36 RBIs. However, since the calendar turned to June, Busch is hitting .310 with 4 homers and 13 RBIs over 126 at-bats. Before June, he hit .241 with 8 homers and 23 RBIs in 166 at-bats.
Busch adds a bit defensively as well with 4 outs above average, which is 5th among MLB first basemen. This contributes to his 2.4 WAR this season. He is clearly seeing the ball well, and if he can improve on his power output, a line like .280 with 25 homers, 80 RBIs could be enough in a full season to overtake Skenes. For the potential $4,000 return on a $100 bet, this is the best bang for your buck.
NL Rookie of the Year notables
LHP Shota Imanaga, Chicago Cubs (+2800)
Imanaga was one of the best pitchers in baseball the first couple of months of the season. He reached the All-Star break at 8-2 with a 2.97 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 9.1 K/9. He has allowed 32 earned runs in 97 innings, and 17 of those runs came in 2 bad starts.
Take away those starts, and he’s 8-0 with a 1.51 ERA. He’s 30 years old and isn’t likely to have any kind of innings restrictions. If he can chip away at that ERA and finish the season with 180-plus innings, he could sway the voters his way.
SS Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals (+5000)
Winn doesn’t get enough national recognition, but he has been so much more than the Cards thought they were getting this season. He has an electric arm with great range at shortstop, and he has become the team’s leadoff hitter at .284 with 5 homers, 33 RBIs and 9 steals.
Winn is the total package, which is why he has a 3.7 WAR on the season. That ranks him 17th in baseball just behind Dodgers SS Mookie Betts and Phillies 1B Bryce Harper. Winn is going to have to produce more power or have a better OBP than .332 to have a shot at winning, but he has been in the bigs all year. With such a high WAR, he could snag some of the new-age voters’ appeal.
Livvy Dunne showed off her four-seam fastball grip, though she conceded that she’s “more of a splinker girl.”
[autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] is only a couple of months into his MLB career, and he’s already etching his name in the history books.
On Tuesday night, Skenes became the first rookie pitcher to start the All-Star Game since 1995, and though he only threw for one inning, it was certainly an impressive frame.
He allowed just one baserunner on a walk to Juan Soto, but he capped off the inning by inducing a first-pitch groundout from Soto’s Yankees teammate Aaron Judge. Skenes threw just 16 pitches in the inning, 11 of which were strikes.
Also in attendance with Skenes was his girlfriend, LSU gymnast [autotag]Livvy Dunne[/autotag], who enters her fifth season with the Tigers in 2025. While Dunne is known for her feats on the floor, she also seems to be picking up some pitching hacks.
At Skenes’ prompting, Dunne showed off her four-seam fastball grip, though she joked that she’s “more of a splinker girl.” The splinker is Skenes’ hybrid splitter and sinker pitcher, which he has relied on heavily to this point in his pro career.
By the way, I don’t think that’s the game’s fault. I think that’s on us. The general viewing public seems largely disinterested in All-Star games these days. The internet has desensitized us to the spectacular. But that’s another conversation for another time.
Because, whew boy, was I on the edge of my seat watching Paul Skenes pitch to some of the best hitters in baseball. That was a moment.
The Pirates rookie was named the NL starter after just 11 starts in his young career. It was easy to see why after one lone inning. We didn’t get his best stuff, but he went against the American League’s best and didn’t flinch. Steve Kwan, Gunnar Henderson, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. Save for a walk on Soto, his inning was nearly clean. Some of the best bats in baseball couldn’t get a hit on this guy.
I guess that’s the point of the All-Star game, right? These are the best players on both sides. Skenes is supposed to be this good.
It’s one thing to know that. It’s another thing to see it. And, even then, it’s another thing to contextualize it. Skenes won Most Outstanding Player in the College World Series just over a calendar year ago. Yesterday, he was the National League’s starting pitcher in the All-Star game.
That’s special. It doesn’t happen. What he’s doing is unprecedented. That’s what makes you want to watch every single moment of it, regardless of the outcome.
As a fan of the game, I’m glad we got to watch this one together.
Alex Sarr can’t hit anything
Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
What’s that one Dion Waiters quote that’s actually a Kobe Bryant quote? I’d rather go 0-for-30 than 0-for-9 or something like that, right?
Yeah, I think Alex Sarr took that to heart. The No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft went scoreless after going 0-15 from the field through an entire game. He also missed both his free throws and all seven 3-pointers he attempted. That’s, uh, not good, guys.
“It was the most field goal attempts by a player without a make in a summer league game since at least 2017, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. If it had been a regular-season game, Sarr’s 15 attempts without a field goal would be tied for the second most in NBA history.”
Is this hilarious? Yes. Is it concerning? Maybe just a bit but probably not as much as you think. Summer League is typically not a big man’s game. He’s playing on a team with many guys who probably won’t be there in the fall. It’s fine.
Plus, it’s not like Sarr was drafted to score — he was primarily drafted to be a defender. Sarr also had nine rebounds, three blocks and three assists. When you look at it like that, 0-15 isn’t that bad.
It’s still bad, though. Don’t get me wrong.
The WNBA is cashing in
Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA reportedly agreed to a new $76 billion broadcast deal with Amazon, NBC and ESPN last week. According to Vorkunov, the WNBA’s media rights were also part of the package, with the league receiving $2.2 billion from the deal over the next 11 years.
The W also has room to add more partners to its broadcast package.
“The WNBA’s current media deals, valued at roughly $50 million annually, are set to expire after the 2025 season, with Disney, Ion, CBS and Amazon as its media partners. The new rights fees could have as much as six times multiple of the league’s current media rights fees since the new deals leave room for the WNBA to bring in new partners. The league anticipates it will sell two other rights packages in addition to the ones it has already made agreements for, and projects to bring in another $60 million annually in total in those additional deals.”
This would be such a massive win for the W. Things aren’t finalized yet with Turner Sports still able to evoke matching rights with the NBA on its deal. Once Turner makes a decision, things will be finalized.
Regardless, the WNBA will come out much richer from this.
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Livvy Dunne was in Arlington to cheer on Paul Skenes during this year’s MLB All-Star Game.
Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes made his MLB All-Star Game debut on Tuesday night, and LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne was right there to cheer him on.
As the two are in a relationship from their days together in Baton Rouge, Dunne was in the stands at Globe Life Field for the 2024 edition of the MLB’s annual gathering for its best players.
Skenes had a very solid night on the mound for the National League team, and the Fox Sports broadcast showed Dunne rooting for him as he finished his All-Star Game inning.
Dunne has been to a good number of Skenes’ Pirates games, and we’re sure there will be more All-Star Games for this couple in the years ahead.
Paul Skenes became the first rookie pitcher to start the All-Star Game since 1995 on Tuesday night.
[autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] is quickly becoming one of the best young players in baseball just months into his rookie campaign, and the former first-overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft made some more history on Tuesday night.
He became the first rookie pitcher to start the MLB All-Star Game since 1995 and just the fifth all-time, getting the nod for the National League. It was an overall impressive showing as he allowed no hits or runs and just one walk as he worked through his lone inning of action in 16 pitches.
That included an out against Aaron Judge, arguably the top hitter in baseball.
It was surely a memorable experience for Skenes, who was joined in Arlington, Texas, by his girlfriend, LSU gymnast [autotag]Livvy Dunne[/autotag]. Here are the best photos from Skenes’ night at Globe Life Field.
Paul Skenes worked through a mostly clean frame in his sole inning of All-Star Game action.
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.
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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