Pirates' Paul Skenes named starting pitcher for NL All-Stars

Adding to his ever-growing list of accomplishments, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes is set to become the first rookie pitcher to start the All-Star Game in nearly three decades.

On Friday, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo announced Skenes, recently chosen as a National League All-Star reserve, would take the hill, likely setting a collision course between the 22-year-old phenom and some of the American League’s top hitters, such as Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Gunnar Henderson.

Your NL #AllStarGame starting pitcher: Paul Skenes ⭐

As announced on the @DPShow, the @Pirates rookie gets the nod in his first All-Star Game! pic.twitter.com/M9QFgH5s1O

— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2024

When he takes the mound Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, he’ll become only the fifth rookie ever to start the All-Star Game — the first since Hideo Nomo in 1995.

He also will become the fifth Pirates pitcher to start the All-Star game, joining Bob Friend (1956, ’60), Vern Law (1960), Dock Ellis (1971) and Jerry Reuss (1975).

Skenes, during an appearance Friday morning on the “Dan Patrick Show,” was given the news live by Lovullo, who is managing the NL squad.

“You represent so many great things that this game craves,” Lovullo told Skenes. “It’s such a great story, the way you’ve come on the scene, the way you’ve done it with such humbleness — it’s noticeable. I’ll be honored to be your manager, and I’ll be honored to watch you throw your first pitch. Super excited about that.”

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) certainly bolstered his case with his Thursday afternoon gem against the Milwaukee Brewers, tossing seven no-hit innings while matching his career high in strikeouts with 11.

In 66 1/3 innings, he’s struck out 89 with only 13 walks. Opposing batters are hitting just .202 against him, and he has a WHIP of 0.92.

Following his most recent start, Skenes was predictably nonchalant when asked for his thoughts on potentially starting the All-Star Game.

“That’d be cool,” Skenes said on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show. “Haven’t thought about it a ton, just been focusing on getting to this outing and through it. It’d be cool.”

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Upon receiving the news of being named Tuesday’s NL starter, Skenes’ demeanor was similar.

“That’s cool. I’ll probably get more excited leading up to the game,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll have a full night’s sleep before. … That’s pretty dang cool.”

While Skenes may have managed to keep those thoughts out of mind, the same couldn’t be said for the extended world of baseball. That includes Lovullo, who tipped his hand to reporters Thursday when discussing what route he’d take in naming a starter for Tuesday’s game.

“In particular, Paul Skenes, he’s come on very quickly,” Lovullo said. “He’s been an unbelievable addition to Major League Baseball. He’s created a lot of interest in Major League Baseball, and I’m going to be situationally aware of that when I’m making this decision.”

Torey Lovullo says he is aware of the Paul Skenes buzz when talking about the All-Star Game starter. pic.twitter.com/bPjkL6jXRO

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) July 11, 2024

Skenes edged fellow All-Stars such as Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler (10-4, 2.70) and Ranger Suarez (10-3, 2.58) and Atlanta’s Chris Sale (12-3, 2.74) for Tuesday’s starting honors.

Shortly before leaving the “Dan Patrick Show,” Lovullo joked about Skenes potentially being on a pitch count, saying only that, “We’ll see what’s going on there. We’ve got 11 pitchers we’ve got to get through.”

Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds, who earned his second career All-Star selection, will join Skenes on Tuesday in Arlington.