Tag: Paul Skenes

How to watch the MLB All-Star Game as Paul Skenes starts for National League

Paul Skenes will be the fifth rookie pitcher to start the All-Star Game and the first since 1995.

Former LSU pitcher and first overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] has had a meteoric start to his major league career.

He has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since he was called up to the Pittsburgh Pirates in May, and he’s earned a few rare distinctions in that time. Not only was Skenes selected as an All-Star in his rookie season, but he was named the starting pitcher for the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game.

Skenes becomes just the fifth rookie pitcher to start an All-Star game and is the first since 1995. We don’t quite know how much Skenes will pitch in this game as the NL has other pitchers to work though as well, but here’s what LSU fans need to know to watch former Tiger and budding MLB superstar Skenes start the All-Star Game.

How to Watch

  • Date: Tuesday, July 16
  • Time: 7 p.m. CT
  • TV: FOX
  • Live Stream: FOX Sports App/fuboTV (watch here)

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Tommy White selected by Oakland Athletics to lead off 2nd round of 2024 MLB draft

Tommy White became the first LSU player taken as he’s going to Oakland with the 40th pick in the draft.

With the 40th pick of the 2024 MLB Draft, the Oakland Athletics selected LSU third baseman [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag].

Tommy Tanks was one of the most prolific hitters in college baseball since he started as a Freshman for the NC State Wolfpack. After his freshman season with the Wolfpack, White transferred to LSU where he would team up with [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Dugas[/autotag], [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag] and more to lead LSU to a national championship. Tommy finished that season with a .374 batting average and he had 24 doubles, 24 homers, and 105 RBI.

This season at LSU, his production dipped to a .330 batting average with 12 doubles, 24 homers, and 70 RBI. One area where White improved a lot while at LSU was on defense. He became a guy who was a designated hitter to a guy who had a lot of potential at the hot corner.

He heads to the Oakland A’s to play for a team that needs some help in a big way.

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Top LSU signee Konnor Griffin drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates at No. 9

The No. 1 prep prospect in the 2024 MLB draft heard his name called early on draft night.

The No. 1 prep prospect in the 2024 MLB draft heard his name called early on draft night.

[autotag]Konnor Griffin[/autotag] is a 6-foot-4, 215-pound outfielder who is committed to playing for LSU but he is a generational baseball prospect. Although [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] landed him in the 2024 recruiting cycle, it was always highly likely that Griffin would be swept away by an MLB team.

Griffin was the first prep player taken in the 2024 MLB draft and he was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The No. 9 slot in the draft has an estimated value of $6,216,600. To land Griffin, the Pirates may have to pay over slot value to keep him from going to Baton Rouge.

The Pirates made a splash when they took [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] with the No. 1 overall pick last year and they made a splash again this year by taking the best prep hitter in the draft.

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Paul Skenes emerging as a contender for the National League Cy Young Award

Paul Skenes could be in the mix for the MLB’s top pitching award if he continues at this pace.

When [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] was called up in May, hopes were high, but nobody imagined this. Skenes was always expected to be an ace, but not this soon. So far, he’s blown every expectation out of the water.

Skenes isn’t just one of the best rookies, he’s not just one of the best pitchers in the National League, but he’s one of the best pitchers in the entirety of professional baseball.

Among major league pitchers with 60 or more innings, Skenes ranks second with a 1.90 ERA and leads all pitchers with a 29.8% K/BB ratio. When Skenes takes the mound, it’s fair to expect a dominant performance. That’s the mark of an ace.

Despite the low innings count, Skenes deserves to be in the Cy Young conversation. The betting market agrees too with Skenes’ Cy Young odds now sitting third in the NL.

In this day and age, organizations are careful with young pitchers. The Pirates are holding on to wild card contention right now, but if Pittsburgh slips, Skenes could be shut down in September.

At this rate, Skenes could barely cross the innings minimum as it is. That could make winning the award tough, but Corbin Burnes won it with just 167 innings in 2021. This isn’t the past, where a pitcher needed 200 innings or more to be considered for the award.

For Skenes to win, a couple of things need to happen. First, he needs to continue to add the incredible value he is now. His stuff has been in a different league than anyone else in the NL. He needs to maintain that pace.

Next, he needs to propel the Pirates further into the playoff mix. If Pittsburgh is competing for a playoff spot down the stretch with Skenes locking in a win every five days, that would go a long way to building the narrative. That’s what these awards are about anyway.

Skenes has the media juice to win it. On Friday, he was named the starting pitcher for the NL in the all-star game, the first rookie to do so since 1995.

Skenes won’t throw seven innings of no-hit baseball every time he takes the mound. Hitters will catch up at some point and Skenes will be forced to adjust, but this is a game of adjustments and great players find a way to make it work.

Heading into the all-star break, Skenes is the hottest player in baseball. It’s a tall task to continue at this pace, but if he does, Skenes is absolutely a Cy Young contender.

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Torey Lovullo named Paul Skenes the NL All-Star Game starter by awkwardly crashing his interview on the Dan Patrick Show

What an awesome (and awkwardly hilarious!) moment for Skenes

Paul Skenes might be a rookie, but there’s a legitimate argument to be made that he’s currently the best pitcher in baseball.

It seems that the National League All-Star team manager thinks so, too. Diamondbacks head man Torey Lovullo is leading the NL in the All-Star game this year and he wants Skenes to be the first player to take the mound for him.

That’s a fantastic gesture for the 22-year-old rookie, to be sure. But he told him the news in the wildest way possible on Friday.

Lovullo called into the Dan Patrick Show during an interview with Skenes to let him know. Here’s the moment:

“I thought it was my time to just butt in on a really special moment. I could see you guys were having your special time with Paul,” Lovullo said. “Paul … I just wanted to congratulate you. I’ve chosen you to be the starter for the National League in the 2024 All-Star game. It’s an unbelievable honor and one that’s so well deserved.”

That’s a huge moment for Skenes and a really nice way to deliver the news, as awkward as it was. It’s also a smart choice from Lovullo.

Skenes was excited about it, too. Or, well, as excited as Paul Skenes gets, anyway. “That’s cool. That’s really cool,” he said.

What a moment. It’ll be the first of many for Skenes.

Livvy Dunne understands Pirates’ decision to pull Paul Skenes during potential no-hitter bid

While fans were frustrated that Paul Skenes was pulled after the seventh, Livvy Dunne is a bit more level-headed.

[autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] had the chance to add another unbelievable accolade to his collection as a rookie on Thursday night.

The National League All-Star starting pitcher threw seven hitless innings and was just six outs away from completing the no-hitter, but the Pittsburgh Pirates ultimately opted to pull him from the game with manager Derek Shelton explaining that it wasn’t about a pitch count but rather visible fatigue from Skenes.

While some fans were understandably frustrated Skenes didn’t get the chance to go for the complete no-hit bid, LSU gymnast [autotag]Livvy Dunne[/autotag] — Skenes’ girlfriend — views it with a bit more of a level head.

“You know what, it would have been a cool accolade to say that you threw a no-hitter your rookie year, but also, you gotta make that arm last long,” Dunne told Sports Illustrated. “So, I don’t blame them.”

Dunne also added that although she is biased, she thinks Skenes is the best pitcher in baseball.

It’s been an impressive 11 starts so far for Skenes as he becomes the first rookie pitcher to start in the All-Star Game since 1995 and just the fifth all-time.

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Livvy Dunne had a very reasonable take on boyfriend Paul Skenes being pulled during no-hitter

She totally gets it.

There were A LOT of baseball fans who were so mad that the Pittsburgh Pirates opted to pull Paul Skenes from his last start while the rookie sensation was in the middle of a no-hitter.

But you know who totally gets it? His girlfriend, Livvy Dunne.

Dunne was in attendance at the 2024 ESPYs when she was asked by Sports Illustrated how she thinks Skenes felt about being pulled from the game. Her reply: “You’ve got to make that arm last long, so I don’t blame them.”

Exactly. That’s the answer you’re looking for. Here’s the full video from the ESPYs:

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Paul Skenes named starting pitcher for National League in MLB All-Star Game

Paul Skenes becomes the fifth rookie pitcher to start the All-Star Game and the first since 1995.

This morning [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] made an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show to discuss how his season was going and to talk about his incredible game against the Brewers yesterday where he threw seven innings of a no-hitter and struck out 11 batters.

While he was on the show, Torey Lovullo (National League All-Star Manager in the All-Star Game and manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks) called in to inform Skenes that he has been named the starter for this year’s MLB All-Star Game.

As usual, Skenes kept a calm demeanor about the situation and it seemed as if it was just another award to add to his early career, but I think the full weight of the moment has not hit him yet. Skenes becomes the first rookie pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Hideo Nomo in 1995. Skenes was not even born yet when Nomo started the All-Star Game (he was born in 2002, yes we are all getting old).

He becomes only the fifth rookie to ever start in the All-Star Game, joining Nomo, Fernando Valenzuela, Mark Fidrych and Dave Stenhouse.

The accolades just keep piling up for Skenes and he is only in the third month of his rookie year. If he keeps this up he could be one of the greatest pitchers of all time.

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1 Paul Skenes stat proves his All-Star start is extremely not normal

This is how dominant the Pirates pitcher has been.

If you’re wondering: yes, rookie pitchers have been chosen to start MLB All-Star Games before.

But Paul Skenes is doing something that no other player has done in the history of the league.

The Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher has made just 11 starts in his career, all of them this year after he was the No. 1 pick of the organization in the MLB Draft. And on Friday, he was named an All-Star starter. AFTER JUST 11 STARTS! HE’S JUST THAT GOOD!!!

Per Sarah Langs, that’s the fewest number of games played before a player was selected as an All-Star. Yes, Skenes has truly been that dominant so far:

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1 Paul Skenes pitch overlay shows how impossible it is to hit him

How do you hit these pitches???

In just 11 Major League starts for Pittsburgh Pirates rookie phenom Paul Skenes, he’s proven why he’s the National League starter on the mound for the 2024 All-Star Game. Maybe he’s a possible Cy Young winner this year? We’ll see.

He’s compiled a 1.90 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and 89 strikeouts in just 66.1 innings. I mean, that’s the whole story right there. But why is he so darn unhittable?

Thanks to Rob Friedman AKA @PitchingNinja, we have an answer: if you’re a hitter, you’re trying to get your bat on triple-digit fastballs. But then a pitch comes at you that LOOKS like the fastball on the outside … and then it dips into the zone because it’s not a fastball. It’s a slider.

Ouch.

 

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