GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
After one of the greatest rookie seasons for a pitcher in Major League Baseball history, former LSU great Paul Skenes is on his way to avoiding any sophomore jinx so for this season for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Skenes (1-1, 3.44 ERA), the 100-mph hurling right-hander, has already struck out 20 with just three walks and no home runs allowed this season through 18 and a third innings. He starts his fourth game of the year on Tuesday night against Washington (6-9) at 5:40 p.m. at Pittsburgh (5-11).
The LSU ace of the 2023 national championship season and first pick of the MLB Draft that July, Skenes won the National League Rookie of the Year award last season as he went 11-3 with a 1.96 earned run average – the lowest ERA by a rookie pitcher in MLB since 1920. And he became the first top pick of a draft to start the MLB All-Star game as a rookie ever.
“IT IS REALLY KIND OF UNBELIEVABLE” – CRAIG SKENES, FATHER OF PAUL SKENES
Skenes struck out 170 in 133 innings in 23 starts in 2024 on a bad team as the Pirates finished last in the National League Central division at 76-86. Pittsburgh is last at the moment in the Central.
After Skenes won his first decision this season, 4-2, at Tampa Bay on April 2 (1 run, 3 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts) in his second start, he had a 1.46 ERA. And that meant he became the first pitcher since earned run average became an official statistic in 1912 to record an ERA below 2.00 with at least 175 strikeouts through his first 25 appearances in MLB. Skenes has 190 strikeouts in his career so far.
Paul Skenes is the first pitcher since earned runs became an official statistic to post a sub-2.00 ERA with 175+ strikeouts over their first 25 MLB appearances. pic.twitter.com/mYn7LnJrnO
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 3, 2025
“The milestone cements the Pirates’ fireballer as baseball’s most dominant young arm, rewriting the standard for pitching excellence to begin a career,” wrote Sports Illustrated’s Pirates writer Ethan Merrill last week.
But can the Pirates, who have had six straight losing seasons, keep up with Skenes?
“I think we owe something to the city,” Skenes said. “We owe a lot to the city. It’s our job to go out and win for the city because this is bigger than all of us. There’s something about this city.”
FORMER TIGER COLE HENRY REACHES THE BIG SHOW
Washington, which is fourth in the National League East, just called up another former LSU pitcher in right-hander Cole Henry, who made his debut Sunday for the Nationals at Miami. Henry, a Florence, Alabama, native, who pitched for the Tigers in 2019 and ’20, threw a scoreless inning in Washington’s 11-4 loss. He struck out two and allowed one hit.
Henry was a second round pick by Washington in the 2022 MLB Draft. He became the 88th LSU player to reach the Big Leagues. The Tigers have had at least one alum make his MLB debut in 31 of the last 35 seasons. Henry replaced reliever Orlando Ribalta on the roster Sunday when Washington placed Ribalta on the 15-day injury list with a right biceps strain.
In his minor league career, Henry averaged 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings and allowed a .190 batting average.
In 2019 at LSU, Henry struck out 72 in 58 and a third innings in going 4-2 with a 3.39 ERA through 11 starts and three relief appearances. He opened the 2020 season as the Tigers’ Friday night starter and was 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 19 innings before COVID ended the season before Southeastern Conference play began in March.
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