Mar 3, 2024; North Port, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) throws a pitch in the fourth inning of the spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: Spring Training-Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves
NEW YORK — Gerrit Cole knows an star when he sees one pitch.
The Yankees ace was the first overall pick in the MLB draft in 2011 after three seasons in college. He was then picked by the Pittsburgh Pirates and made his debut at 22, halfway through his second season.
A very similar path to the newest Pirates phenom, Paul Skenes.
The 21-year-old flame thrower is expected to make his MLB debut in the near future, with Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton saying this week Skenes is slated to start at Triple-A Indianapolis again on Saturday.
Whenever he does get to the majors, he’ll garner plenty of attention — including from Gerrit Cole.
“I’ve been watching and seen his highlights,’’ Cole said. “I can relate to his situation, but I didn’t throw that hard. It seems like his fastball is meant to be thrown another 10 feet further. It just gets there a lot quicker than others, like he’s supposed to be throwing from 70 feet.
“I’m just rooting for him to make it,’’ Cole said. “We don’t know how good this guy is. Nobody does. He could break the whole mold. He could be the greatest of all time. Why hold him back? Let him throw more, let him throw 98 [mph] instead of 102″
The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Skenes starred at LSU after spending his first two collegiate seasons at the Air Force Academy.
He’ll turn 22 later this month and has thrown just 27 1/3 innings this season – striking out 45, alongside an ERA of 0.99.
“I know he’s been blowing everyone’s minds,’’ Cole said. “He looks like he’s one of those generational-type arms. I’m excited to see what he does. He’s got a lot of work ahead of him, but right out of the gate, he has the tools.”
