Pirates announce major news on top prospect Paul Skenes

Jul 18, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes speaks a press conference before the Pirates play the Cleveland Guardians at PNC Park. Skenes was the Pirates first round pick and the overall number one pick in the 2023 MLB first year player draft. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Paul Skenes’ moment has arrived.

The Pittsburgh Pirates made the big announcement on Wednesday that they are calling up their top pitching prospect Skenes. The 21-year-old will be making his MLB debut on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.

Pittsburgh revealed the news in an awesome hype video to X.

5.11.24 pic.twitter.com/fPh1beCkwn

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 8, 2024

Skenes, the National Pitcher of the Year at LSU, was the No. 1 overall pick by the Pirates in the 2023 MLB Draft. He has since ascended to near-rock star status in the minors, putting on show after show at Triple-A this season and regularly hitting triple digits on the radar gun. Just a few weeks ago, footage of an absurdly long line for Skenes’ autograph went viral.

The 17-21 Pirates had been frustrating their fans by not calling up Skenes yet through the first one-and-a-half months of the season (leading to a recent response from Pittsburgh’s GM). The wait is finally over now though, and Skenes’ MLB debut is officially less than 72 hours away.