After winning the first overall pick in the first-ever MLB draft lottery, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a chance to add the top player in the prospect pool. For the 2023 MLB Draft, that included several top players, from outfielders Dylan Crews and Wyatt Langford to LSU star pitcher Paul Skenes.
With Crews reportedly seeking as much as $10 million to sign, the Pirates opted for a potential future staff ace instead. Skenes is widely regarded as the top pitching prospect in the 2023 draft class, possessing a dominant 100 mph+ fastball and slider capable of striking out any batter he faces.
Some suggest Skenes is the best pitching prospect in over a decade, and the 21-year-old is expected to be a quick mover through Pittsburgh’s farm system. The 6-foot-6 hard-throwing righty also doubled as a catcher prior to transferring to the Tigers after his sophomore season, where he’d eventually focus on pitching full-time.
- Paul Skenes’ college stats: 12-2, 1.69 ERA, 209 K, 20 BB, 122.2 IP
While Skenes also showed he could hit in previous stops, it’s clear he made the right call by prioritizing becoming a standout pitcher instead.
Skenes and his fellow teammate Dylan Crews are coming off a College World Series win, where Skenes won Most Outstanding Player for his performance. Crews went No. 2 overall to the Washington Nationals one pick later, becoming the first teammates to be the top two picks in MLB Draft history.
