With Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo managing the 2024 All-Star Game, he was asked Thursday who he’s considering to start. Unsurprisingly, Paul Skenes came up in the conversation, video courtesy of PHNX Diamondbacks on X.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!“He’s come on very quickly,” said Lovullo. “He’s been an unbelievable addition to Major League Baseball, and he’s created a lot of interest in Major League Baseball. I’m going to be situationally aware of that when I’m making this decision.”
Torey Lovullo said he hasn't finalized his starting pitcher for the All-Star Game, but it sure sounds like it's going to be Paul Skenes.
"He's come on very quickly. He's been an unbelievable addition to Major League Baseball, and he's created a lot of interest … I'm going to… pic.twitter.com/NNWudEH596
— PHNX Diamondbacks (@PHNX_Dbacks) July 11, 2024
Pittsburgh right-hander Paul Skenes has taken baseball by storm. Last year’s No. 1 overall draft selection, Skenes has not only reached the major leagues but has been named an All-Star in less than a full calendar year.
Lovullo was quick to point out that all the pitchers on the National League’s All-Star team were deserving of the honor. Those pitchers include Logan Webb, Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, Hunter Greene, Shota Imanaga, Chris Sale, and Reynaldo López.
Skenes in particular brings a different level of stardom that most of those other pitchers don’t. A generational pitching prospect with the ideal body type at a well-built 6’6″ 235 lbs., a 100 MPH fastball complemented by filthy secondary stuff, and the mental makeup scouts dream of. Assuming he stays healthy in his career, he has the opportunity to be one of the best pitchers to debut in the 2020s. He is the lone representative of the Pittsburgh Pirates at the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.
Skenes did not make his widely-anticipated debut until May 11 but has been electric in his first 11 starts. He has a 1.90 ERA with an 89-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 66 1/3 innings. In his last outing, he threw seven no-hit innings to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers, with his manager Derek Shelton taking heat for pulling him at 99 pitches. His starts have been appointment television for baseball enthusiasts alike.
It would not be shocking for Lovullo to tab one of baseball’s biggest up-and-coming stars to start the All-Star game. Skenes draw a level of interest for a pitcher not seen since Stephen Strasburg in 2010, with the hope he has a healthier, but equally as successful a career as the 2019 World Series MVP.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
