The Pittsburgh Pirates had a difficult decision to make for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. A pair of teammates, LSU baseball's Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, were the favorites to be selected first overall. Pittsburgh opted for the pitcher, drafting Skenes with the No. 1 overall selection. The Pirates made it official on Tuesday by signing Skenes to a record-breaking $9.2 million contract, per Jim Callis.
No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes signs w/@Pirates for $9.2 million (pick value = $9,721,000). Breaks @MLBDraft record of $8,416,300 (Torkelson, 2020). @LSUbaseball RHP, ranks w/Strasburg as best Draft pitching prospect ever. Fastball up to 102 mph, wipeout upper-80s slider. pic.twitter.com/hVECfTjFLx
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) July 18, 2023
The signing broke the previous MLB Draft record of $8,416,300. The Pirates clearly believe in Skenes and his future is incredibly bright.
How good is Paul Skenes?
As Callis noted above, Skenes features a blazing fastball and impressive slider. His control is developing as well, and some have referred to him as one of the best pitching prospects ever. There's no question that Skenes' future is bright and some experts around baseball believe he could pitch for the Pirates as soon as 2024. The 21-year old's progression in college was swift and if it translates to professional baseball, it wouldn't be surprising to see him on a big league mound next year.
Despite all of the hype surrounding him, Skenes admitted he was “in shock” after being drafted first overall.
“I was in shock when I heard,” Skenes said, via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. “A year ago, two years ago, I never thought it was a possibility to be the first overall pick. I don't know what I was expecting going into today, but it means a lot.”
The Pirates have been trying to rebuild a competitive roster for years now. It's been a struggle, but the team is trending in a positive direction. Pittsburgh features a quality core of young players, and perhaps Skenes can be the ace the rotation needs.
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