Paul Skenes will have his second All-Star showdown with Aaron Judge on Tuesday.
ATLANTA — No matter what happens at Tuesday’s All-Star Game, Pirates ace Paul Skenes will make history.
Skenes will become the first player to be the starting pitcher in an All-Star game in his first two seasons in the big leagues. The 2024 NL Rookie of the Year was named last year’s starter for the Midsummer Classic after just 11 electrifying starts, and now he’s back after Dodgers manager Dave Roberts overlooked his paltry 2-4 record in 2025, since it comes with a remarkable 2.01 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP.
“It was a no-brainer for me,” Roberts said Monday ahead of the Home Run Derby. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he does it next year as well. It is an honor to have him toe the rubber for the National League.”
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Skenes has earned the respect of his peers despite being in the major leagues for just 14 months. He helped win a national championship in his one season at LSU, was drafted first overall during All-Star weekend in 2023 and then blew through rookie ball, Single A, Double A and Triple A in just 12 starts.
MLB stars rave about Paul Skenes
Rays two-time All-Star Brandon Lowe, an eight-year veteran, saw the hype with Skenes and had an understandable degree of skepticism.
“There was all this stuff around him, you know, ‘Paul Skenes is going to be the next coming.’” Lowe told The Sporting News on Monday. “Everybody kind of takes a step back and says, ‘Yeah, well, let's wait until he gets to the big leagues. The big leagues is different than anything in the minors. But it doesn't seem like it is for him.”
When Skenes found out about his starting role, he talked to the Pittsburgh press and mentioned Clayton Kershaw as one of the players he was looking forward to interacting with in Atlanta. He sees the veteran as someone who has achieved the success he hopes to see in his career. Kershaw is in his 11th All-Star Game and recently recorded the 3,000th strikeout in his 18-year career.
MORE: All-Star Game starting lineups
“I don’t have much advice, because I don’t think he needs much based on what he’s doing,” Kershaw told SN on Monday. “As far as the longevity piece, I don’t know that anyone knows the answer to that. From what I hear, he puts a lot of time and effort and energy into getting back out there every fifth or sixth day.
“There's a lot of one-hit wonders, right? There's a lot of success for a year. And then the league can kind of figure you out, and then you have to adapt. And he just is. He has a great ability to adapt and continue to learn new pitches. His stuff speaks for itself, obviously, but at the end of the day, he just competes.”
Skenes pitched one inning in Texas at the All-Star Game last year, facing four batters. After retiring Steven Kwan and Gunnar Henderson, Skenes walked Juan Soto. In the first mano-a-mano with Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, Skenes threw a 99 mph fastball that was grounded to third base to end the inning.
Judge, who struck out last September in his only other at-bat against Skenes, said he hopes to do better on Tuesday. Judge is batting third for the AL, meaning there is a guaranteed rematch.
“It's exciting,” Judge told SN. “The excitement he brings to Pittsburgh and to that fan base and to all of baseball every five days. It's gonna be pretty cool to see him out here again on the mound. It's gonna be special.”
There was plenty of excitement among Pirates fans earlier this season when there was a Paul Skenes Bobblehead Doll promotion on Saturday, April 19 against the Guardians. A crowd of 37,713 packed PNC Park, roughly double the average attendance of the NL Central’s last place team. The crowd saw a typical hard-luck outing for Skenes, who gave up two runs in seven innings as the Pirates fell 3-0.
Braves manager Brian Snitker has managed two National League Rookies of the Year in Atlanta during his 10-year MLB career. He saw Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II both take home the award, then experience different levels of success moving forward. Acuña has maintained an elite level, while Harris has tailed off. Skenes appears to be more on the Acuña track to date.
MORE: Braves Ronald Acuña Jr. ready for All-Star spotlight in Atlanta
“The approach, the maturity (is the key to sustaining success),” said Snitker, who is serving as part of the National League’s coaching staff this year. “I've never met (Skenes), I’ve just heard unbelievable things about his makeup, the respect he has for the game, the kind of person that he is. I wish that kid nothing but the best, because it looks to me like he's doing everything the right way. He's a great person. He's a great talent. You look at a guy like that from afar and the work ethic is something that is just built for success and longevity in the game.”
Category: Baseball
