Paul Skenes Bio
Paul David Skenes is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). A 2023 first-overall draft pick, Skenes moved through the minor leagues in a single season before reaching the majors in 2024 and quickly establishing himself as one of the league’s most dominant starters. In his first two big-league seasons he earned two All-Star selections, the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, and the 2025 National League Cy Young Award.
Paul Skenes
Early Life and Background
Paul David Skenes was born on May 29, 2002, in Fullerton, California, and grew up in nearby Lake Forest in Orange County. He is the son of Craig, a pharmaceuticals company employee, and Karen, a homemaker and former high school teacher. Several of Skenes’ uncles served in the United States Navy and Coast Guard, which helped shape his early interest in military service.
Skenes attended El Toro High School, the same school attended by major leaguers Nolan Arenado and Matt Chapman. He played three seasons of varsity baseball as a two-way player, taking turns at catcher, first base, and third base in addition to pitching. As a junior he posted a 0.67 earned run average, and as a senior team captain he had a 0.33 ERA before the season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. He graduated from El Toro in 2020 with a 4.76 grade point average.
A longtime fan of the Los Angeles Angels, Skenes committed in September 2018 to attend the United States Air Force Academy and play college baseball for the Air Force Falcons.
Path to Major League Baseball
Skenes honored his commitment to Air Force and was named the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year in his first season. He added first-team All-American recognition from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Baseball America, and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, then played collegiate summer baseball for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2021. In 2022 he won the John Olerud Award as the nation’s best two-way player.
After his sophomore year, Skenes entered the NCAA transfer portal and announced in July 2022 that he would play for the LSU Tigers. With LSU in 2023 he broke Ben McDonald’s SEC and LSU record for single-season strikeouts, finishing with 203. He then won National Pitcher of the Year honors and the Dick Howser Trophy, helped LSU capture the 2023 Men’s College World Series title, and was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player.
Paul Skenes Career
Draft and Minor Leagues (2023-2024)
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Skenes with the first overall pick of the 2023 MLB draft, making him and LSU teammate Dylan Crews the first college teammates ever taken with the top two selections. Skenes signed for a $9.2 million bonus, the highest ever for a drafted player, and debuted as the top-ranked pitcher on MLB Pipeline’s prospect list.
Assigned first to the Florida Complex League Pirates, Skenes made his professional debut on August 10, 2023, striking out fellow top pick Walker Jenkins while sitting at 99 mph or higher. He moved up to Single-A Bradenton on August 15, to Double-A Altoona six days later, and began 2024 with Triple-A Indianapolis, where he posted a 0.99 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 27 and one-third innings.
Pittsburgh Pirates Debut (2024)
On May 11, 2024, the Pirates selected Skenes’ contract and promoted him to the majors. In his debut at PNC Park against the Chicago Cubs, he threw 17 fastballs at 100 mph or higher and struck out seven in four innings. Five days later at Wrigley Field he pitched six no-hit innings and struck out eleven against the Cubs, including the first seven batters he faced.
Skenes was selected to the 2024 All-Star Game, becoming the first No. 1 overall pick to make the Midsummer Classic as a rookie, and was named the National League’s starting pitcher, only the fifth rookie ever given the honor. He finished his rookie season 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 170 strikeouts in 23 starts, and set a Pirates franchise record for strikeouts by a rookie with 143 against Miami. He was named NL Rookie of the Year and finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting behind Chris Sale.
Pittsburgh Pirates Sophomore Season (2025)
Named a cover athlete for MLB The Show 25 alongside Elly De La Cruz and Gunnar Henderson, Skenes opened 2025 as the Pirates’ Opening Day starter against the Miami Marlins. He earned his first win of the year on April 2 against Tampa Bay, pitching seven innings of three-hit ball, and turned in six and one-third scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 26.
He returned to the All-Star Game in 2025 and was again named the NL’s starting pitcher, the first back-to-back NL starter since 2012. After the break he was named NL Pitcher of the Month for July, and on August 24 his 50th career start lowered his ERA to 2.02, the second lowest through 50 starts in the Live Ball Era behind Vida Blue. He struck out his 200th batter of 2025 on September 10, joining a short list of Pirates pitchers to reach the milestone, and finished the year with a 1.97 ERA, the first sub-2.00 season by a starter since Justin Verlander in 2022. He was named the 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner, becoming the first player to take Rookie of the Year and Cy Young in consecutive seasons since Dwight Gooden in 1984-85.
Pittsburgh Pirates 2026 Season (2026-Present)
Named the 2026 Opening Day starter, Skenes allowed five runs in the first inning against the New York Mets on March 26 and was lifted after only two outs. He rebounded quickly over his next five starts, going 4-0 with a 2.48 ERA and 30 strikeouts across 29 innings, including a dominant outing against the Milwaukee Brewers in which he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning before allowing a two-out single to Jake Bauers.
Driving Style and Strengths
Skenes is a power pitcher whose fastball has consistently sat at 99 to 101 mph at the major-league level, complemented by a sharp splitter that has become his primary swing-and-miss pitch. He pairs high velocity with elite strike-throwing, attacking hitters aggressively in the strike zone and generating whiffs on both his fastball and splitter. His poise, routine, and ability to maintain his mechanics deep into starts have allowed him to log heavy workloads while keeping his earned run averages at or below 2.00 across his first two full seasons.
Notable Events and Milestones
Skenes’ rookie-year debut, his 2024 and 2025 All-Star Game starts, and his record-setting strikeout totals anchor his list of signature moments. His 2025 Cy Young Award formally placed him alongside Dwight Gooden as the only players to win Rookie of the Year and Cy Young in back-to-back seasons, while his sub-2.00 ERA in 2025 marked the lowest by a starting pitcher in three seasons.
Paul Skenes Career Wins
Through the 2025 season Paul Skenes had built a 27-20 major-league record with a 2.16 ERA and 493 strikeouts, with awards and milestones spread across his rookie and sophomore campaigns.
Major League Highlights
His first major-league win came early in his rookie season with Pittsburgh, and he added wins steadily through both years, finishing 11-3 in 2024. In 2025 he recorded his first career 200-strikeout season and opened the year with a victory over Tampa Bay on April 2. Through the 2026 season he has continued to add to his win total while lowering his ERA back toward the 2.40 range.
Other Wins and Performances
Skenes helped LSU win the 2023 Men’s College World Series, earning the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award after setting SEC and school strikeout records. He has also represented the United States in international competition, including the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Paul Skenes Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Skenes was raised in Orange County, California, by his parents Craig and Karen. Several of his uncles served in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, a family connection that influenced his decision to attend the United States Air Force Academy before transferring to LSU.
Personal Life
Skenes is in a relationship with former LSU gymnast and social media influencer Livvy Dunne, and the couple’s relationship has drawn widespread public attention. Skenes has said the two began dating after his best friend at LSU dated Dunne’s roommate, Elena Arenas.
2025 Season Performance
Skenes’ 2025 campaign was the most decorated of his young career, headlined by the National League Cy Young Award. He went 2-0 with a 1.97 ERA over 32 starts, set a new franchise record for strikeouts by a right-handed pitcher with 216, and led the majors in ERA. The performance also placed him on the 2025 All-MLB First Team and capped a season in which he started the All-Star Game for the second consecutive year.
His 2025 workload was carefully managed by the Pirates’ staff, with Skenes routinely working deep into games and averaging nearly seven innings per start. The Cy Young Award formally made him the first pitcher to take Rookie of the Year and Cy Young in consecutive seasons since Dwight Gooden in 1984-85, and reinforced his status as the face of the Pirates’ rebuild. Heading into 2026, Skenes was again named Opening Day starter, signaling the franchise’s continued investment in him as its ace.
