Paul Skenes Stats
By Chris Wright
Last Updated:
Former LSU star pitcher Paul Skenes made baseball history when he became just the second player to win the College World Series and be drafted No. 1 overall in the same season.
Skenes accomplished both feats in 2023.
Less than a year later, Skenes was in the Major Leagues. And shortly after, the Pittsburgh Pirates ace was added to the 2024 National League All-Star team. He went on to win the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Award and finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting.
Here is a look at Skenes’ career stats, his game logs, bio information and much more.
Paul Skenes Career Stats
Paul Skenes went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA en route to capturing the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Award. Here’s a look at his complete career stats:
Paul Skenes Game Log
Saturday Down South has you covered if you want to keep track of Paul Skenes’ performances. This page automatically updates every outing Skenes has.
Paul Skenes’ Recent Stats
Which way is Paul Skenes trending? Follow here to see his most recent performances:
Paul Skenes Career Stats at LSU
Paul Skenes pitched (and hit) for 2 seasons at Air Force before transferring to LSU in 2023. He was a 2-time First Team All-American. Skenes was such a dominant force on the mound and at the plate that he won the 2022 John Olerud Award, which is given to the best 2-way player in college baseball. In 2023, he was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, which is given to the best amateur player in the country.
Skenes focused on pitching at LSU, and authored one of the greatest seasons in the conference’s long, illustrious history.
| Year | Record | ERA | IP | Strikeouts | Walks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 13-2 | 1.69 | 122 2/3 | 209 | 20 |
Skenes set an LSU and SEC record with 209 strikeouts and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 College World Series.
Paul Skenes Bio
Paul Skenes was born in Fullerton, California, a baseball-rich suburb just south of Los Angeles.
He starred locally at El Toro High School before signing to play baseball at Air Force. Skenes had uncles who served in the Navy and Coast Guard. He was not drafted coming out of high school.
Skenes was a 2-time All-American at Air Force. In 2021, Skenes set the Air Force record with 10 saves. One of those saves came against LSU. In 2022, Skenes set the Air Force record with 11 victories. He also hit 13 home runs that season.
That summer, he decided to transfer to LSU.
Skenes already was in the mix to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, and he cemented that status with a historic season at LSU, where he set single-season school and SEC pitching records.
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Skenes with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Skenes made 5 starts in the minor leagues in 2023.
In 2024, Skenes dominated in spring training but, for financial reasons, the Pirates decided to keep Skenes in the minor leagues. He made 7 starts for the Triple A Indianapolis Indians, posting a 1.32 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings.
The Pirates promoted Skenes to the major leagues in May of 2024 and he made his big-league debut on May 11, 2024 against the Chicago Cubs.
Paul Skenes Awards
Paul Skenes has won numerous college and MLB awards. These are some of the most notable:
- 2024 NL Rookie of the Year
- 2024 NL All-Star
- 2023 Most Outstanding Player of College World Series
- 2023 Dick Howser Trophy winner (best Division I player)
- 2023 SEC Pitcher of the Year
- 2023 Consensus All-American
- 2022 John Olerud Award winner (best 2-way player)
- 2022 First Team All-American
- 2021 First Team All-American
FAQ About Paul Skenes
Paul Skenes was born on May 29, 2002. He was 21 when he made his Major League debut in 2024.
No. In 2023, Skenes started dating former LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne while both were at LSU. They have been together since.
Skenes is eligible to become a free agent in 2030. He is eligible for arbitration in 2027.
It sounds ridiculous to ask, but most baseball experts expect the Pirates to eventually trade Skenes for the simple reason that they can’t afford to re-sign him once he becomes a free agent.
When they trade him is now the big question. The Pirates have said they won’t trade him in 2025.
The Pittsburgh Pirates gave Skenes a record $9.2 million signing bonus after picking him No. 1 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft.
His annual salary was $740,000 in 2024.
His salary is $875,000 in 2025.
That number will grow modestly again in 2026.
Skenes is eligible for salary arbitration in 2027.
Arbitration occurs when a player with enough service time in the major leagues believes he is worth more than his current contract. If eligible, the player and team essentially go to court, where a third party listens to both sides and then picks either the salary the player requested or the salary the team offered. Often, the player and team agree to a new deal to avoid arbitration.
Skenes can throw a 4-seam fastball 100+ mph, but he hasn’t hit triple digits nearly as often in 2025. Part of that is he lowered his arm angle ever so slightly, which reduces velocity but adds horizontal movement. His average 4-seam fastball velocity is about 98 miles per hour, making him the hardest-throwing starting pitcher in the major leagues.
Skenes is a power pitcher, so he throws a 4-seam fastball more than any other pitch. He also throws a split-finger fastball, a sweeper, a sinker, a changeup, a slider and a curveball. He added the sinker as a new pitch in 2025. Baseball Savant has an excellent, detailed breakdown of all of Skenes’ pitches.
Paul Skenes played college baseball Air Force for 2 years (2021, 2022) before transferring to LSU for the 2023 season.
Managing Editor
A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.
