Bye-bye Indy? Skenes nears Majors after latest gem

With every 100 mph fastball and crackling slider he unleashes, Paul Skenes nears the inevitable.

As MLB's No. 3 overall prospect continues to enhance his reputation as a generational talent, the rest of the baseball world watches and waits for possibly the most anticipated big league debut by a pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg in 2010.

And with good reason. His final two pitches in a career-high six-inning start were his fastest of the night.

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 Draft provided a glimpse of what was to come during his brief professional debut last summer. But even with unparalleled hype and expectations coming into the year, Skenes has raised the bar -- not only within the Pirates organization but throughout the baseball world -- with each passing start.

His outing for Triple-A Indianapolis against Buffalo on Tuesday night was no exception.

The 21-year-old righty continued his mastery over Triple-A competition, not allowing a run for the fifth time this season in Indianapolis' 4-3 win in extra innings over Buffalo at Victory Field. He ended his start by retiring 10 of his last 11 batters and finished with seven strikeouts while tossing a professional-high 75 pitches, 53 for strikes.

"I felt really good out there. Very good," said Skenes, who lowered his ERA to 0.39. "They put some balls in play, especially early in the first few pitches of at-bats, but I'm happy with the way I threw."

Skenes recorded three strikeouts in the opening frame, despite Blue Jays' No. 16 prospect Spencer Horwitz nicking him for a double -- just the second extra-base hit he's surrendered this season. He also worked out of one of the rare jams he's faced as a pro, wriggling free of a two-on, one-out situation in the third.

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Skenes' final two heaters were clocked at 101 and 100.9 mph. All told, he reached triple digits 13 times against the Bisons, bringing his total 100 mph offerings to 89 this season.

To put that into context, no Minor League hurler has thrown even half as many 100 mph pitches as Skenes entering Tuesday night's action.

The 6-foot-6, 235-pounder -- who has a five-pitch arsenal hitters must contend with -- was able to maximize his effectiveness in his latest outing. As several Buffalo hitters put the ball in play early, Skenes reached a three-ball count just three times and walked only one.

"You have to get [hitters] out in the zone [in the pros]," Skenes said. "They won't chase a whole lot. For me, it's less about having 'good stuff' than it is about executing properly."

That proved to be the case against Buffalo, which obviously had a plan to attack early in the count to avoid two-strike situations. It still didn't matter. Skenes -- who has has a K rate of 46.6 percent this season -- has struck out 41 in 23 innings, an average of 16.04 per nine.

"One thing I’ve learned [at Triple-A] is to pick my spots for a strikeout," Skenes said. "There are certain situations where you go for it, but you also want to try and get outs as quickly as possible. A lot depends on who is up and what the situation is."

All signs point toward Skenes debuting for Pittsburgh in the very near future. Despite all the hoopla and fanfare that surrounds his every outing, the native of Fullerton, California, won't look ahead.

"I don't see or hear any of it," Skenes said about reaching the big leagues. "The only thing that matters is what I'm doing right now. The call will come when it comes."