Pittsburgh Pirates No. 1 Overall Pick is the First Pitcher to Ever Accomplish This Feat

The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Paul Skenes out of LSU with the No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft on Sunday night.

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected LSU pitcher Paul Skenes with the No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball draft on Sunday night.

Skenes, a power right-hander, put up a dominant season in Baton Rouge, helping lead the Tigers to a College World Series title over Florida.

It's been quite the year overall for Skenes, who accomplished something that no pitcher has ever done before.

Per ESPN Stats & Info:

LSU ace Paul Skenes gets taken No. 1 overall to the Pirates. He's the 6th player, and first pitcher, to win Most Outstanding Player at the MCWS and go No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft. 

Skenes joins Phil Nevin (1992) as the only players to do both in the same year.

LSU ace Paul Skenes gets taken No. 1 overall to the Pirates. He's the 6th player, and first pitcher, to win Most Outstanding Player at the MCWS and go No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft.

Skenes joins Phil Nevin (1992) as the only players to do both in the same year. pic.twitter.com/MNc5e1nEu0

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 9, 2023

He went 12-2 this year with 209 strikeouts in 122.2 innings. He had previously played at Air Force.

He had an ERA of 1.69 and is the single-season strikeout leader for the SEC.

The Pirates are desperate to build a winner at the major league level and Skenes can hopefully help them get there. ESPN MLB Draft expert Kiley McDaniel doesn't think that Skenes is far away from contributing at the big league level, even thinking he could be one of the Pirates best relievers if he were in the majors today.

Furthermore, McDaniel said he thinks Skenes could be in the conversation for the Rookie of the Year in the National League in 2024.

Skenes has only played three years of college baseball, so he has leverage here with regards to signing. He could always threaten to go back to school, and while that reality is extremely unlikely, it could help him get a higher dollar amount from Pittsburgh.

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