For two months, fans in Pittsburgh have been captivated by the performance of Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes. That’s not to say that outside of town, baseball fans, players and analysts haven’t taken notice of the mustachioed, 6-foot-6 rookie since he made his highly anticipated MLB debut May 11. But Tuesday night, when the 22-year-old starts for the National League in the All-Star Game, the Skenes story will expand significantly to televisions across the nation.
“I think it’s awesome. He’s one of the biggest stories in baseball. He’s must-see TV,” MLB analyst Keith Law of The Athletic told TribLive.
“He’s legitimately earned the All-Star spot. You want to argue that somebody, maybe a veteran, should get the starting spot? What’s going to make people turn on the TV and watch? Oh, Paul Skenes is starting? You know when he’s pitching. That’s actually a pretty good marketing move.
” 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 Skenes (6-0, 1.
90 ERA) is set to become the first rookie pitcher to start in the All-Star Game since Hideo Nomo in 1995, and just the fifth all-time. Not since Jerry Reuss in 1975 has a Pirates pitcher started the game. Skenes will be only the fifth in franchise history to do so — Dock Ellis started for the NL in 1971, while Vern Law and Bob Friend both did so in 1960.
(From 1959-62, MLB played two All-Star Games each year.) Friend also was the NL’s starter in 1956. With Skenes about to manufacture a ratings bonanza for FOX, which will broadcast the game at 8 p.
m. from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, the Pirates are in prime position to reap the benefits. “I’ve argued for 20 years, the All-Star Game is about marketing the sport and getting the best players on the field, like Paul Skenes,” Law said.
“People are going to watch Paul Skenes and say, ‘Oh, I’m going to tune in to watch the Pirates the next time he starts.’ When was the last time people tuned in to specifically watch the Pirates? It’s been a minute.” With regards to on-the-mound matters, three-time All-Star and current MLB Network analyst Jake Peavy can personally relate to the upcoming task at hand for Skenes.
Skenes will in all likelihood face some combination of AL sluggers Gunnar Henderson, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. In 2007, as he was en route to winning both the Cy Young Award and Triple Crown for the Padres, Peavy was named the NL’s starting pitcher, facing AL titans Ichiro Suzuki, Derek Jeter, David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez. On top of being entrusted to keep some of the best hitters in baseball at bay, Peavy also recognized how many eyes were glued to watching those showdowns, at-bat by at-bat.
Soon, Skenes will be in the same position. “This is the matchup that we want to see on the biggest stage,” said Peavy, who is providing All-Star analysis on “MLB Tonight” Monday and Tuesday from Arlington. “Paul Skenes has been the guy on the stage to not let us down and deliver.
Here’s as daunting and big of a task as there is in the game. Let’s watch the guy who’s on top of this game and the game of pitching as much as anybody we have.” Regardless of how AL manager Bruce Bochy decides to craft his lineup, Skenes is excited to meet the challenge.
“I got asked today about facing Judge potentially, if they decide to hit him leadoff, facing him with the first pitch that I throw in the All-Star Game,” Skenes said during a Friday night SportsCenter appearance. “That would be really cool, but I’m assuming it’s going to be him, Soto and Henderson — some order of those three at the beginning of the lineup. It’ll be really cool.
” "At the beginning of the year, I never could have expected this so to be in this position is a huge blessing." Paul Skenes on being named the NL starter for the MLB All-Star game ???? pic.twitter.
com/e4lBOO1Gal — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 12, 2024 When he was with the San Francisco Giants in 2014, chasing the second of two World Series he’d win during a 15-year big-league career, Peavy recalled the atmosphere of PNC Park during the NL Wild Card Game. To Peavy, what Skenes is doing has the potential to reinvigorate not only the Pirates, but Pittsburgh sports in general. “Let’s not get it confused — it’s been hard times in the Steel City for all sports franchises, kind of seemingly, the past five or so years,” Peavy said.
“It just hasn’t been on top, let’s say that. It’s a great, great sports town to hang your hat on. I’ve made the circuit.
There’s not a more beautiful place than Pittsburgh and there’s not better people and a fan base than there. I believe that in my whole heart. “You arguably have the face of the game hanging his hat in your town for the next six years of (club) control.
What a PR dream, a marketing dream for your baseball franchise.” From Skenes’ collegiate days at LSU, to rising meteorically through the minor leagues and now, leading into his debut All-Star appearance, Peavy’s eyebrows continue to raise when he’s on the hill. “There’s not enough adjectives out there to describe what he has continued to do throughout his baseball career,” Peavy said.
“He’s done this everywhere he’s put on a baseball uniform since college. This guy’s got electric stuff — great three-pitch mix and all of them are devastating — but he’s understanding the craft of pitching, as well.” Staff writer Kevin Gorman contributed to this story .
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