Paul Skenes has done it again.
The talk of baseball this season has been the dominance of the 22-year-old through his first 10 starts of the season. He’s been so dominant that he found himself in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, with a real possibility to even start it one year after being drafted first overall out of LSU.
In his 11th major league start, Skenes made sure to deliver his best performance on the mound in his earlier career — which included seven no-hit innings.
Facing the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, the right-handed starter was legitimately unhittable. Skenes allowed zero hits and one walk while punching out 11 batters over seven innings, throwing just 99 pitches in the effort.
The Pittsburgh Pirates chose to not leave him in for the remainder of the game. As a result, they weren’t able to hold onto his no-hitter, but they did get the 1-0 win over their division rivals.
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Skenes’ numbers heading into the All-Star break are that of a potential Cy Young award winner. Through his first 11 career starts, the starter has pitched 66 1/3 innings, registering 89 strikeouts while allowing only 48 hits and 13 walks. His ERA also sits at a minuscule 1.90 — putting him directly into the conversation as the best pitcher in the sport.
Today was the 22-year-old’s last start before the break. The next time he will be seen on the mound will be in the MLB All-Star Game on July 16 at 8 p.m. EST on FOX.
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Featured image via Benny Sieu/USA TODAY Sports