How'd Paul Skenes vs. Walker Jenkins go in battle of top-5 picks?
Walker Jenkins had another very good day at the plate in a minor league game for the Minnesota Twins, though fans hoping to see multiple matchups between Jenkins and the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft, Paul Skenes, didn't get their wish.
Skenes, making his professional debut Thursday for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, pitched just one inning. He threw 10 pitches and retired all three batters he faced, the first two on groundouts and then striking out Jenkins on three pitches.
Skenes got Jenkins on a 99 mph fastball that Jenkins foul tipped into the catcher's mitt for the strikeout.
Paul Skenes strikes out Walker Jenkins with a 99 MPH fastball🔥
— Austin Oravec (@AustinOravec) August 10, 2023
He topped at 101 and retired all three batters he faced in his pro debut💯 pic.twitter.com/5S9bs4AUJn
Jenkins, who was taken fifth overall by the Twins, went 2-for-4 and drive in a run. He's now 9-for-21 with a homer and six RBI in five games in rookie ball with the FCL (Florida Complex League) Twins. His lone homer was a grand slam earlier this week.
Skenes was considered one of the best pitching prospects since Stephen Strasburg and went No. 1 overall to the Pirates after leading LSU to the national championship in college.
Jenkins could've gone first overall in most drafts, though he slid all the way to the Twins at No. 5 because of the high-end talent in the 2023 draft class. Former Twins scouting director Mike Radcliffe compared Jenkins to MLB Hall of Famer Larry Walker and current Phillies star Bryce Harper.
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