Paul Skenes, MLB's most hyped pitching prospect, set for Pirates debut Saturday

The wait is over for one of the biggest pitching prospects in Major League Baseball.

Paul Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, will make his first major league start for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday at PNC Park, facing the Chicago Cubs.

Skenes, 21, helped lead LSU to the College World Series championship and less than a month later was chosen first overall by the Pirates, who opted for the 6-foot-6 right-hander over his LSU teammate, outfielder Dylan Crews.

Skenes also won the race to the big leagues.

After making five minor league appearances at the end of last season, Skenes dominated Class AAA hitters in his first full pro season this year, posting a 0.99 ERA in seven starts for Indianapolis. He struck out 45 batters in 27 innings, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated major league debuts in the past decade.

How hard does Paul Skenes throw?

Skenes commanded national attention during his first CWS start last year, when 46 of the 123 pitches he threw registered at least 100 mph. In his seven Class AAA starts this season, he averaged 99.9 mph on his fastball; he also puts away hitters with a split-finger fastball that averages nearly 95 mph.

Little wonder he struck out 209 batters in 122 2/3 innings at LSU last year.

When did Paul Skenes become a top prospect?

Hard to imagine now, but Skenes began his college career as a two-way player, playing catcher at Air Force while also fulfilling closer duties.

Yet as his career unfolded, his velocity only grew and after his sophomore year at Air Force — after which he would have been required to commit to a five-year military hitch — he transferred to LSU.

Two things awaited there: Significant recompense with the school's Name, Image and Likeness connections, and pitching coach Wes Johnson. Johnson remade Skenes' mechanics over the course of a fall and winter and, by spring 2023, unleashed a monster.

How will Skenes fit into Pirates rotation?

Quite well. Fellow rookie Jared Jones has been a revelation this season, posting a 2.63 ERA in seven starts, 2023 All-Star Mitch Keller is signed through 2028 and Quinn Priester retains promise. But veterans Marco Gonzales and Martin Perez were viewed largely as stopgaps; Gonzales is on the injured list with a forearm strain and Perez, who posted a 2.55 ERA through four starts, has a 5.40 ERA in his last four outings.

Correspondingly, the Pirates won 10 of their first 14 games, but are just 7-17 since. They're in fourth place, five games behind division-leading Milwaukee in the National League Central.

Is Pittsburgh ready for its next potential star?

It should be. Skenes has only spent a scant few days in the city after he was drafted, but is used to the spotlight. Baton Rouge is mad about its sports – LSU baseball has led the NCAA in attendance 25 times since 1996.

And his girlfriend, LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, might be the most popular athlete connected to a Pittsburgh team. She's amassed more than 10 million social media followers on Instagram and TikTok, shared the Pirates' hype video for Skenes' call-up Wednesday on her IG stories and later posted a celebratory TikTok.

Of course, he'll have to perform to validate the hype. For now, though, Skenes' arrival evokes a similar anticipation to Stephen Strasburgh's 2010 debut with the Washington Nationals – when he struck out 14 Pirates.

Saturday, Skenes begins crafting his own story.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paul Skenes, Pirates pitching prospect, set for anticipated MLB debut