When the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted right-hander Paul Skenes with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, they took one of the most MLB-ready hurlers available, not to mention one of the most talented.
However, a series of circumstances limited Skenes to just 6.2 professional innings last year: he lost important development time.
This year, he was invited to the Pirates’ spring training camp and has spent time with those expected to be on the MLB roster, has learned from them, and has gotten a glimpse of what being in an MLB clubhouse feels like.
Performance-wise, he has been excellent even if the sample size is small.
Some were discussing him as a candidate to break camp with the team.
The Pirates have already announced his destination once spring training is over.
“The Pirates announced that Paul Skenes will start the season in the minor leagues,” B/R Walk-Off tweeted.
The Pirates announced that Paul Skenes will start the season in the minor leagues pic.twitter.com/WhdxHmc4LV
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) March 5, 2024
Well, there you have it.
Sending him to the minors to start the season was the logical decision, for many reasons.
One, he might not be quite ready: he has pitched a grand total of 2.2 innings above High-A.
Two, the Pirates would love to make sure they gain another year or service time on his clock, and that requires them to keep him in the minors until May or June.
And three, they can slowly ramp him up in the minors whichever way they prefer without affecting their MLB team’s plans.
Chances are we will see the man who can touch 102 mph with his fastball in the major leagues at some point this year.
He is expected to anchor the Pirates’ rotation for years to come, alongside Mitch Keller.
NEXT: Paul Skenes Continues To Show Positive Signs In Spring Training