Paul Skenes Bio
Paul David Skenes is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). The right-hander made his MLB debut in May 2024 and quickly became one of the most talked-about young arms in the sport, earning the National League Rookie of the Year award that season and the National League Cy Young Award in 2025. A former standout at the United States Air Force Academy and Louisiana State University (LSU), Skenes pairs a power fastball with the poise of a veteran, and his relationship with former LSU gymnast and social media influencer Livvy Dunne has made him a frequent subject of mainstream sports coverage.
Early Life and Background
Paul David Skenes was born on May 29, 2002, in Fullerton, California, to Craig, a pharmaceuticals company employee, and Karen, a homemaker and former high school teacher. Several members of his family have ties to military service, with two of his uncles serving in the United States Navy and another in the Coast Guard. Skenes grew up in Lake Forest, California, in Orange County, and spent his childhood rooting for the Los Angeles Angels.
He attended El Toro High School, the same alma mater as major leaguers Nolan Arenado and Matt Chapman, and played three seasons of varsity baseball as a two-way player. In addition to pitching, Skenes played catcher, first base, and third base. During his junior year, he posted a 0.67 earned run average, was named to multiple all-star teams, and announced his commitment to attend the United States Air Force Academy. In his senior season, he served as team captain, posted a 0.33 ERA, and hit three home runs before the COVID-19 pandemic ended his year early. He graduated from El Toro in 2020 with a 4.76 grade point average.
Path to Baseball
Skenes honored his commitment to play college baseball for the Air Force Falcons and accepted an appointment as part of the academy’s class of 2024. In his first season, he was named the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year and earned first-team All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Baseball America, and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. In the summer of 2021, he played collegiate baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and in 2022 he won the John Olerud Award as the nation’s best two-way player.
Following his sophomore year, Skenes entered the NCAA transfer portal and announced on July 28, 2022, that he would transfer to Louisiana State University. At LSU, he broke Ben McDonald’s Southeastern Conference and school record for strikeouts in a single season, finishing 2023 with 203 punchouts. He then won National Pitcher of the Year honors and the Dick Howser Trophy, helped the LSU Tigers win the 2023 Men’s College World Series, and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
Paul Skenes Career
Draft and Minor Leagues (2023–2024)
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Paul Skenes with the first overall pick of the 2023 Major League Baseball draft. He and LSU teammate Dylan Crews became the first college teammates in draft history to be selected with the first two overall picks. Skenes signed with the Pirates on July 18, 2023, for a $9.2 million signing bonus, the highest ever for a drafted player at the time, and debuted on MLB Pipeline as the third-ranked prospect in baseball and the top-ranked pitcher.
The Pirates moved Skenes quickly through the minors, assigning him to the rookie-level Florida Complex League Pirates on August 7, 2023, where he struck out fellow top pick Walker Jenkins in his professional debut. Within days he was promoted to the Single-A Bradenton Marauders and then to the Double-A Altoona Curve. He opened the 2024 season with the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, posting a 0.99 ERA with 45 strikeouts across 27 and one-third innings before his contract was selected in May.
Pittsburgh Pirates (2024–Present)
The Pirates promoted Paul Skenes to the majors on May 11, 2024, and he debuted that day at PNC Park against the Chicago Cubs, throwing 17 fastballs at 100 mph or higher and striking out seven. In his second start, at Wrigley Field, he fired six no-hit innings and struck out eleven, including the first seven batters he faced. On July 7, 2024, he was selected to the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, becoming the first No. 1 overall pick to make the Midsummer Classic as a rookie, and on July 11 he was named the National League’s starting pitcher, only the fifth rookie to receive that honor. He finished his rookie season with an 11–3 record, a 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 170 strikeouts in 23 starts, claiming NL Rookie of the Year and setting the Pirates’ franchise rookie strikeout record at 143 before finishing third in NL Cy Young Award voting.
In 2025, Skenes was the Pirates’ Opening Day starter against the Miami Marlins and later earned his first win of the season against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 2, pitching seven innings with three hits allowed. He was named to the 2025 All-Star Game, his second consecutive selection, and was again chosen as the National League’s starting pitcher by manager Dave Roberts. After the break, he was named National League Pitcher of the Month for July, and on September 10 he notched his 200th strikeout of the season against the Baltimore Orioles, becoming the eighth Pirates pitcher in franchise history to reach that mark. He closed the year with a 1.97 ERA, the first sub-2.00 mark for a starting pitcher since Justin Verlander in 2022, and set a new franchise record for strikeouts by a right-handed pitcher with 216, breaking Mitch Keller’s mark of 210.
Notable Events and Milestones
Skenes became the first player to win the NL Rookie of the Year and NL Cy Young Award in consecutive seasons since Dwight Gooden in 1984 and 1985. He is also a two-time All-Star, the first pitcher other than Shohei Ohtani to grace the cover of MLB The Show 25, and the owner of the Pirates’ franchise record for strikeouts by a right-handed pitcher.
Paul Skenes Career Wins
Paul Skenes has accumulated his victories almost entirely at the Major League level with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he earned 11 decisions in his 2024 rookie season and added further wins during the 2025 campaign.
MLB Highlights
Skenes’ first MLB win came during his rookie season in 2024, a year that featured 11 victories and an All-Star start. He continued that form in 2025, opening the year with an Opening Day no-decision against the Miami Marlins and earning his first win of the season on April 2 against the Tampa Bay Rays. He added to his ledger with seven scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 26, 2025, a 3–0 victory that featured a season-high nine strikeouts.
College and Minor League Performances
At the college level, Skenes helped the LSU Tigers win the 2023 Men’s College World Series and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Across his stops in the Florida Complex League, Bradenton, Altoona, and Indianapolis, he posted a 0.99 ERA in Triple-A before his promotion, striking out 45 batters in 27 and one-third innings.
Paul Skenes Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Skenes was raised in Orange County, California, by his parents Craig and Karen, with several uncles who served in the United States Navy and Coast Guard. He is in a relationship with former LSU gymnast and social media influencer Livvy Dunne, and the couple began dating after his best friend at LSU dated Dunne’s roommate, Elena Arenas.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season confirmed Paul Skenes as the National League’s premier pitcher. He made his second consecutive All-Star appearance, started the Midsummer Classic for the National League, and won the NL Cy Young Award, joining Dwight Gooden as the only players to claim Rookie of the Year and Cy Young honors in back-to-back seasons. His 1.97 ERA led Major League Baseball, and his 216 strikeouts set a new Pittsburgh Pirates franchise record for a right-handed pitcher.
On a per-start basis, Skenes dominated lineups from the first week of the season, including a 4–2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on April 2 and a 3–0 shutout of the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 26. He recorded a career milestone on September 10 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, striking out eight Baltimore Orioles batters to reach 200 strikeouts for the season and cementing his place among the franchise’s all-time greats.
Looking ahead, Skenes remains the centerpiece of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rotation and a foundational piece of the organization’s long-term plan. With an arsenal built around an upper-90s fastball, sharp breaking pitches, and the poise of a pitcher well beyond his years, he is positioned to chase further awards, including a potential repeat Cy Young, and to lead the Pirates back to playoff contention.