Paul Skenes was surrounded by silence between pitches, with a home crowd mesmerized by the top pitching prospect’s sizzling sinker that touched triple digits on the radar gun on his first three pitches.

Fans knew the best was still to come.

The 6-foot-6, 250-pound right-hander for the Pittsburgh Pirates soon stole the show by striking out baseball’s top prospect, Jackson Holliday of the Baltimore Orioles, in a matchup of MLB’s past two No. 1 overall draft picks in the inaugural Spring Breakout prospect showcase. The Pirates prospects won 3-1 in seven innings.

Before a national television audience Thursday night at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla., Skenes recovered from a 3-1 count and got Holliday to chase a full-count changeup that caused the 20-year-old shortstop drop to a knee on the swing. Skenes strutted off the mound, nodding his head confidently after winning the highly anticipated battle.

Friend of the site @DGinTB with the goods here as Paul Skenes blows away Jackson Holliday pic.twitter.com/9IahSTWu1O

— Prospects Live (@ProspectsLive) March 14, 2024

“When you look at Paul Skenes, the first thing (you notice) — other than the velocity, which is absurd — is the ease with which he does it. There’s not effort there,” Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com told SportsNet Pittsburgh during a visit to the broadcast booth. “He’s not just a guy who throws 102, which he did repeatedly, but he knows where to put it. He commands the fastball. He has a full array of secondary pitches. …

“It’s a combination of the size, the competitive streak. He came off the field and was mad that he couldn’t go another inning. There’s just no effort there. He’s playing catch. There’s so much ride on the fastball, the high spin on the breaking stuff (and) weak contact there. We saw everything you’d want to see from him.”

Straight gas. pic.twitter.com/ea6PBfR2Nb

— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) March 14, 2024

Paul Skenes is a Problem. ???? pic.twitter.com/qLYwu8R10V

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 15, 2024

Skenes showed he could shove against three of the Orioles’ top-10 prospects, topping 100 mph on six of his first seven pitches. He threw strikes on eight of his 11 pitches in a perfect first inning that showed why he was the No. 1 pick of the 2023 MLB Draft and signed a record $9.2 million bonus after leading LSU to the College World Series title.

The Orioles, who boast the best farm system in baseball, used 2023 first-round pick Enrique Bradfield Jr. as their leadoff hitter. Bradfield took the first pitch, a 100.6 mph sinker, for a called strike. He missed on an elevated sinker, this one clocked at 101.1, before a foul tip for a third strike on a 101.7 sinker.

101, 101, 102 ????

What a way to start the game from Paul Skenes! #SpringBreakout pic.twitter.com/xSEgJybPSZ

— MLB (@MLB) March 14, 2024

Next was Holliday. The son of X-time All-Star Matt Holliday, the 2022 No. 1 overall pick is battling for a spot on the Orioles’ Opening Day roster. They already faced each other once this spring, when Skenes made his Grapefruit League debut Feb. 29 against the Orioles in Sarasota and got Holliday to ground out in a two-pitch at-bat.

“Both times, knowing that I’m only throwing one inning so it’s just trying to get all my pitches in,” Skenes said. “Obviously, trying to get him out. … The other time was a quick AB, which is cool, too. Quick outs are cool.”

Skenes got deeper in the count than expected. His first two pitches to Holliday were balls, followed by the fouling off of a 90 mph changeup. After a pitch above the zone put Skenes behind 3-1, he got Holliday swinging at a 91 mph cutter inside. Then Skenes got Holliday to chase the changeup for his second strikeout.

#Orioles’ Jackson Holliday on Pirates’ Paul Skenes: “I think he was probably throwing like 110. That’s what it looked like.” #SpringBreakout

— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) March 15, 2024

“Love competing against guys like that,” Skenes told SportsNet Pittsburgh afterward. “Obviously, the hype around that matchup, I’ve been saying it for a little bit: He and I are going to have a lot more opportunities to face each other in the future. It’s going to be fun.”

Skenes needed only two pitches to get Connor Norby out, using a 96.6 mph sinker to induce a broken-bat groundout to third base to end his outing. Skenes used his sinker, changeup and cutter, throwing eight of his 11 pitches for strikes while topping 100 six times.

“It was awesome,” Skenes said. “That was big, especially (because) it is still spring training and we’re trying to go out there and execute and work on some stuff. Fastball command was great. Working on the breaking balls and being able to throw the changeup and sinker, it was awesome to be able to throw those pitches.”

The Pirates already informed Skenes he will start the season in the minor leagues. This outing gave a glimpse of his advanced pitching repertoire and showed he’s capable of dominating hitters, and it’s only a matter of time before he makes his major-league debut.

“His stuff is ready to get big league hitters out, I have no doubt about it,” Mayo said. “I do think it’s the right decision to let him get some innings under his belt. He’s pitched six professional innings before this year … but you’re going to see him soon.”

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