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Pittsburgh Pirates Sensation Goes Viral For Jersey Exchange with NFL Star

Paul Skenes, meet T.J. Watt!

Brady Farkas

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) and catcher Yasmani Grandal (6) make their way in from the bullpen to play the Miami Marlins at PNC Park on Sept 9.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) and catcher Yasmani Grandal (6) make their way in from the bullpen to play the Miami Marlins at PNC Park on Sept 9. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes is going viral on Thursday for his jersey exchange with NFL star TJ Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers posted the picture on social media. Watt appears to have written a lengthy message on the jersey for Skenes, as is commonplace in jersey exchanges.

Pittsburgh fans have to be extremely excited by this pairing as they make up two of the most popular athletes in the city, with Sidney Crosby of the Penguins right in the mix as well.

The 22-year-old Skenes was the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft in 2023 and made his debut this past May. He's gone 10-2 with a 2.10 ERA through 20 starts this year and should anchor the Pirates rotation for years to come. He's struck out 151 batters in 120.0 innings, started the All-Star Game for the National League, and figures to be in contention for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

He played his college ball at LSU, helping them win the national title in 2023.

As for Watt, he's widely regarded as one of the top defensive players in the NFL. He's led the AFC in sacks in three different seasons, including last year, when he had 19. He already registered one sack and a fumble recovery in the Steelers' Week 1 over the Atlanta Falcons.

The Pirates are off on Thursday, but will be back in action on Friday against the Kansas City Royals at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Steelers will play the Broncos on Sunday at 4:25.

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Brady Farkas

BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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