Pittsburgh Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes will start the All-Star Game for the National League this year, and found out in a pretty neat way.
Skenes was in the middle of an interview on “The Dan Patrick Show” Friday when Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, this year’s NL All-Star manager, called into the show. The interruption was obviously pre-planned, as it gave Lovullo the opportunity to tell Skenes about the All-Star starter decision live on the air.
NL All-Star manager Torey Lovullo calls in to tell Paul Skenes he will be the NL starter for the All-Star Game@Paul_Skenes @Pirates @MLB pic.twitter.com/EeAmuuM17l
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) July 12, 2024
“I thought it was my time to just butt in on a really special moment,” Lovullo joked. “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. I’m really, really excited for you.”
Skenes seemed to have a pretty good clue as to what was going on as soon as Lovullo was put on, but it was still pretty neat to see him learn of the honor live. Many fans were hoping for this as a way of recognizing how outstanding Skenes has been as a rookie. All-Star starting pitchers typically are not announced until the day before the game, but doing it this early gives MLB a few extra days to hype this up.
Skenes did not even make his MLB debut until May 11, but he has been arguably the best pitcher in baseball since then. In 11 starts, he has posted a 1.90 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 66.1 innings, and he made a strong push for a no-hitter on Thursday.
