Pirates sign No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes to record signing bonus

With another season slipping away, Pittsburgh Pirates fans are again stuck looking toward the future. A significant part of that future is expected to be pitcher Paul Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

On Tuesday, the Pirates officially started his path to the major leagues by signing him to his first pro contract that features a record $9.2 million signing bonus.

That bonus exceeds the previous record of $8.42 million signed by Detroit's Spencer Torkelson after he was picked No. 1 overall in the 2020 draft. 

The Pirates had the top pick this year after winning MLB's first draft lottery, and there was a lengthy debate as to whom they would take in that spot. Skenes and his LSU teammate, outfielder Dylan Crews, were the consensus top two prospects in the class, but there was also speculation the Pirates might opt to go in a different direction (like high school outfielder Max Clark) in order to get a lower signing bonus and then spread the savings out over the rest of their draft class.

In the end, the Pirates went with Skenes off of a dominant season for LSU. 

Skenes is one of the best pitching prospects to come out of the NCAA since Stephen Strasburg went No. 1 overall in 2009.

He is immediately the top prospect in the Pirates system and one of the top prospects in baseball. Given his age and dominance in college, it would not be a stretch to think he could make his MLB debut sometime next season. 

There is always some risk with taking a pitcher No. 1 overall due to injury concerns and how unpredictable his development can be, but this is also the Pirates' best and most likely path to landing a front-line starting pitcher. 

This was the sixth time the Pirates have picked No. 1 overall, but their track record with that spot is not exactly great. Skenes is the fourth pitcher they have taken in that spot.

The Pirates also had the No. 1 overall pick in 2021 where they selected catcher Henry Davis. Davis recently made his major league debut and is currently the team's starting right fielder.