An elite college hitter appears to be on the doorstep of making his Major League debut. Selected with a premier pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the star catcher and designated hitter batted .367 with a 1.124 OPS at the NCAA Division I level. Since joining his big league organization,

Paul Skenes was selected first overall by the Pirates in the 2023 MLB Draft. Less than a year later, he's already dominating at Triple-A ... and could soon be dominating in the big leagues. Here’s everything you need to know about the top pitching prospect in baseball. FAST FACTS Position:

Five starts and 14 1/3 scoreless innings into his 2024 campaign, Paul Skenes allowed his first run of the year for Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday against Omaha. The run marked the first blemish to his previously perfect ERA, but the rest of the outing, for the most part, was business

INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul Skenes was a national champion at LSU. He became a No. 1 overall pick with the Pirates in 2023. He’s been the Minors’ most dominant pitcher at Triple-A Indianapolis to begin 2024. And in many ways, he still thinks like that catcher calling pitches for Air Force

PITTSBURGH -- Brewers manager Pat Murphy first saw Jared Jones when the pitcher was just 10 years old. Jones pitched for a rival club program in the Los Angeles area, and even then, Murphy took notice of him. “This kid was always a special athlete,” said Murphy. “So it’s cool

PITTSBURGH – In his young Major League career, Jared Jones has shown an incredible knack for getting whiffs and strikeouts on ugly swings. And Monday, he may have unleashed his season’s masterpiece.

Paul Skenes appeared on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show on Friday, where Pittsburgh’s top prospect spoke on professional baseball, his mindset, and of course, his fastball velocity. "I don't know how I do it." Skenes admitted. “When I was a junior in high school, I was probably throwing 86 mph. So

INDIANAPOLIS -- Thursday night brought another Paul Skenes start, and that meant more triple-digit heat, more strikeouts, more zeros in the runs column … and another relatively abbreviated outing for the top pitching prospect in baseball. In his fourth outing of the young season, MLB Pipeline’s No. 3 overall prospect

There’s no date yet for Paul Skenes’ potential Major League debut, and it’s OK to be a little antsy wondering when it will be. The Pirates also currently have a hole in their starting rotation with Marco Gonzales on the injured list. But Skenes, MLB Pipeline's No. 3 overall prospect,

NEW YORK -- Right-hander Jared Jones, ranked as the No. 3 prospect in Pittsburgh’s system and No. 57 in baseball by MLB Pipeline, had the best outing of his big league career on Tuesday night. However, Jones received a no-decision in the Bucs’ 3-1 loss to the Mets at Citi

It's nearly a month since the 2024 season opened in South Korea, so it's time to take a look at the campaign's early top rookie performers, also known as the April edition of MLB Pipeline's Rookie Hot List. Each month, MLB.com will look at which rookies performed best over the

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Paul Skenes unleashed his signature four-seam fastball in the bottom of the second inning against Justice Bigbie but failed to find the strike zone, issuing the first four-pitch walk of his young professional career. There shouldn’t have been a reason for concern at this point in the game. MLB’s No.

PITTSBURGH -- Jared Jones dialed up 98 mph at the top of the zone, Colton Cowser swung through it and the rookie right-hander pumped his fist and let out a roar on the PNC Park pitcher’s mound. Jones had been dealt a tough hand in the top of the fourth

If you thought Paul Skenes' starts were appointment viewing last year, when he reached Double-A after being the top overall pick in the Draft by the Pirates, you would be right. But this year, every time the Pirates' top prospect takes the mound, it’s even more of a must-see experience.

With the Minor League season opening this week, here's where the Pirates’ Top 30 prospects are projected to start: 1. Paul Skenes (MLB No. 3), RHP -- Indianapolis (Triple-A) 2. Termarr Johnson (MLB No. 42), 2B -- Greensboro (High-A) 3. Jared Jones (MLB No. 58), RHP -- Pittsburgh (MLB) 4.

You couldn't ask for a much better start to the 2024 season than what the Pirates have put together: A 6-1 record after the season's opening week. One of the big reasons for optimism around the Bucs is the young core currently in the Majors -- and more youngsters who

The Pirates’ farm system finds itself in a bit of a transitory spot this year. Last season, Henry Davis, Endy Rodríguez, Nick Gonzales, Liover Peguero, Jared Triolo, Luis Ortiz and Quinn Priester all shed their prospect status, and with the exception of the injured Rodríguez, all should contribute to the

The Pirates sent Paul Skenes to Triple-A Indianapolis to begin the 2024 season in hopes of getting him a little more professional experience before making his MLB debut. One start into the season, the top pitching prospect in baseball (No. 3 overall) looks as dominant as can be.

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf’s Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The Pirates have a top right-handed pitching prospect on their Opening Day roster … but it’s not the one everyone has been focusing on. Don’t worry, Buccos fans, Paul Skenes will come soon enough. The even better news is he’s not the only really good arm at the top of

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Earlier this spring, Derek Shelton said the Pirates’ focus when building a rotation was making sure bringing “the best club north is gonna be important to us.” After watching Jared Jones pitch this spring, it’s fairly irrefutable that the team’s No. 3 prospect was one of their

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Jared Jones looked looser walking toward his LECOM Park locker Saturday. There’s an elephant in the room for the Pirates’ No. 3 prospect on whether or not he will make the Opening Day roster next week. It’s out of his hands now after his final spring start

This is an excerpt from the latest edition of the Ben's Biz Beat Newsletter, bringing Minor League Baseball business and culture news to your inbox each and every Thursday. Check out the full newsletter HERE. Last week, I provided a rollicking round-up of notable 2024 Triple-A promotions. Today, we’ll gingerly

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.