Paul Skenes MLB’s newest pitching sensation
Baseball fans who happen to be Baby Boomers will likely recall the hysteria surrounding pitcher Mark (The Bird) Fidrych in 1976. Ditto for Fernando Valenzuela in 1981. More recently, Steven Strasbourg of the Washington Nationals came into the majors with a Cy Young future almost guaranteed
Bruce Penton
July 29, 2024
In 2024, we're saying hello to the newest member of that pitching phenom club, Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The careers of Fidrych, Valenzuela and Strasbourg hardly turned them into Hall of Famers, but Pirates' fans are hoping the same doesn't hold true for Skenes, who has been setting the National League on fire as a first-year player and gained the celebratory role of starting pitcher in the recent mid-season all- star game.
Fidrych, who started the all-star game in 1976 after exploding onto the American League scene as a rookie, fizzled out after he posted a rookie-season record of 19-9. He told reporters he talked to himself before every pitch, but reporters suggested he was talking to the ball, adding a layer of mythology to his talent. He played only four more years in the majors and had a ho-hum career record of 29-19.
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