PITTSBURGH — The look ahead to Paul Skenes is lastly over. The Pirates introduced on Wednesday that they’re selling their high prospect to the Majors. Skenes, a fireballing right-hander, is scheduled to make his first begin on Saturday towards the Cubs at PNC Park (4:05 p.m. ET), in line with the membership.

Skenes was the primary total choose in final 12 months’s Draft and is at the moment ranked because the No. 3 prospect, and high pitcher, within the recreation by MLB Pipeline. The 6-foot-6 Skenes burst onto the nationwide scene final 12 months with Louisiana State College, being named the Division I Nationwide Participant of the 12 months and main his faculty to the School World Sequence title.

Armed with a fastball that persistently registers within the triple digits and a wipeout slider, Skenes actually lived as much as the hype throughout his time within the Minors this 12 months, the place he recorded a 0.99 ERA and 45 strikeouts over 27 1/3 innings with Triple-A Indianapolis. He has additionally developed his pitch repertoire in his time as knowledgeable, mixing in his changeup, curveball and “splinker” (a sinker-splitter hybrid) extra, including extra weapons to his arsenal.

Whereas there have been some cries for Skenes to start out the season within the Majors, the Pirates wished to be diligent along with his adjustment to the skilled recreation and his workload administration. After throwing 112 1/3 innings in his first two collegiate seasons with the Air Drive Academy, he threw 122 2/3 frames as a junior with LSU. He additionally pitched the traditional school routine, making one begin per week, reasonably than following a typical skilled five-day rotation schedule. Due to that, the Pirates opted to have him toss some shorter outings with Indianapolis earlier than stretching him out additional in mid-April.

It’s simple to see why holding Skenes’ proper arm robust is the Pirates’ high precedence; MLB Pipeline grades his fastball as an 80, the very best potential mark on the scouting scale. Some have instructed Skenes is the highest pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg, and even his opponents have marveled at his stuff.

“If he retains throwing like that, it gained’t be too lengthy till he’s within the huge leagues,” Holliday later mentioned of Skenes. It seems he was proper.

Skenes will be part of a rotation headed by Mitch Keller, who had his contract prolonged this spring, and rookie Jared Jones. That trio might very properly function the entrance three of the Pirates’ rotation for years to return.

However first comes Skenes’ debut, which ought to be probably the most anticipated begins to a profession in Pirates historical past.