At Truist Park in Atlanta on Tuesday night, Paul Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ standout right-hander, made Major League Baseball history by becoming the first pitcher to start the All-Star Game in each of his first two seasons. This achievement confirms Skenes’s remarkable rise as a dominant force in the National League soon after joining the majors.
Dominant Performance Against Elite Batters in First Inning
Skenes pitched a flawless first inning for the National League team, striking out Detroit Tigers’ Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene before retiring New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge on a groundout, ending the American League’s first inning without allowing a baserunner. His performance mirrored his strong showing in last season’s All-Star Game, where he also delivered a scoreless opening inning with no hits and just one walk.
Exclusive Company Among Baseball Legends
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Skenes is now one of only five players in MLB history to start an All-Star Game in both of their initial two major league campaigns. He joins elite company alongside Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio, who started in his first seven seasons from 1936 to 1942; Rod Carew, who started in his first three seasons; Frank Robinson, with starts in his first two seasons; and Ichiro Suzuki, who started in four early seasons and is set to join the Hall of Fame in 2025.
Consistency in All-Star Game Starts for National League Pitchers
Skenes is only the tenth pitcher ever to make consecutive All-Star starts representing the National League, and he is the first National League pitcher to have back-to-back Midsummer Classic starts since Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals in 2018. That year, Scherzer and American League pitcher Chris Sale also made consecutive All-Star starts, marking a rare achievement among pitchers.
Joining Legendary Rookies Who Debuted in the Midsummer Classic
Last year, Skenes joined a select group of rookie pitchers who started the All-Star Game, a club that includes Hideo Nomo (1995), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), Mark Fidrych (1976), and Dave Stenhouse (1962). His rookie season was stellar, earning him the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year award thanks to a record of 11-3, a 1.96 ERA, and 170 strikeouts over 133 innings.
Outstanding MLB Career and College Achievements
Born in Lake Forest, California, Paul Skenes was the first overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2023 MLB Draft after a remarkable collegiate career at LSU. He led the Tigers to the 2023 College World Series championship and was awarded the Dick Howser Trophy as the nation’s top NCAA Division I player. Skenes also earned recognition as the 2023 D1 Baseball National Player of the Year and Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year.
Record-Setting College Performances That Shaped His Professional Path
During his 2023 season at LSU, Skenes compiled a 13-2 record and a 1.69 ERA in 122.2 innings while allowing only 20 walks and setting an SEC strikeout record with 209. He led the nation in strikeouts, strikeouts per nine innings (15.33), and WHIP (0.75). Additionally, Skenes ranked second nationally in ERA and was among the leaders in strikeout-to-walk ratio and hits allowed per nine innings. He was recognized as the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 College World Series, posting a 1-0 record with a 1.15 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 15.2 innings over two starts.
Impact and Outlook for Paul Skenes’s MLB Career
Paul Skenes’s unprecedented feat of starting the MLB All-Star Game in each of his first two seasons highlights his rapid development into a top-tier pitcher. His consistent dominance on the mound suggests he will continue to be a cornerstone for the Pittsburgh Pirates and potentially one of the game’s premier pitchers in the years ahead. As he builds on his successful rookie campaign and early accolades, Skenes’s career trajectory remains a promising example of talent meeting opportunity at the highest level of baseball.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Did anyone pull the Paul Skenes?
A. The family first heard from Fanatics Collect on January 2. Just 19 days after, Topps shared that an 11-year-old found the Skenes card in one hobby box.
Q. Can Paul Skenes hit?
A. Johnson explained that he would never doubt Paul Skenes. Skenes has the skill and drive to succeed in hitting, but focusing on pitching alongside Jared Jones, who is also very talented, seems like a wise choice.
Q. What’s so special about Paul Skenes?
A. He was the first pitcher in modern times to achieve 150 strikeouts and an ERA below 2.00 within his first 22 career games.
Since earned runs were officially recorded starting in 1913, only Steve Rogers had a lower ERA of 1.95 in his first 22 starts during 1973-74.