The Pittsburgh Pirates have made a decision on defending No. 1 pick in the draft Paul Skenes, telling him that he will begin the year in the minor leagues.
Per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Ben Cherington said the Pirates have told Paul Skenes he will start in the minor leagues. Cherington says there are boxes Skenes still must check. Will remain in major league camp to get work in.
This certainly isn't surprising. Though he enters 2024 as the No. 3 overall prospect in baseball, he's only thrown 6.2 professional innings in his career. The Pirates are looking to contend in 2024 and it's not in the best interest of that mindset - or of Skenes - to have on the job training at the major league level.
That said, Skenes could certainly make his major league debut during the 2024 season. Given likely innings limits, he could come up as a reliever, but that's obviously not known yet.
The following comes from his MLB.com prospect profile:
Skenes’ velocity started to spike during the fall at LSU. It carried over to his incredible spring in Baton Rouge, averaging 98 mph and topping out at 102 mph with his fastball, with a flat approach angle and carry that make it very difficult to hit, as evidenced by a 30 percent miss rate on it last spring. His slider turned into the best secondary pitch in the class. In the Minors, it's thrown largely in the upper 80s with sharp break that elicited ridiculous swing-and-miss rates (62 percent). His 89-93 mph changeup might be his third pitch, but don’t be surprised if it’s a third plus pitch as a pro as he learns to land the fading offspeed offering in the zone more consistently.
At 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, Skenes brings an imposing presence to the mound. A former catcher, he’s athletic on the hill, repeating his delivery well and filling the strike zone exceedingly well, especially given his premium stuff. He has all the makings of a frontline starter, one who should not take very long to make his presence felt in Pittsburgh.
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