Paul Skenes is off to The Show.

The former LSU Tigers baseball star pitcher and No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft is getting called up to the big leagues by the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday.

Skenes is set to make his MLB debut on Saturday when the Pirates take on NL Central rival the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

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The 6-foot-6 right-hander, who was the No. 3 overall prospect coming into the 2024 season by MLB Pipeline, has moved fast through the Pirates minor league system since last July's draft. Last season, Skenes made a few appearances at Double-A Altoona and Single-A Bradenton. He began the 2024 season in Triple-A Indianapolis where he has been nigh on unhittable, racking up 45 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings of work with an ERA of 0.99 with the opposition hitting just .175.

Skenes spent one season at LSU after transferring to the Tigers from Air Force. In his lone season in Baton Rouge last year, Skenes was one of the top pitchers in the country as he posted a 1.69 ERA and a record of 13-2 across 122 ⅓ innings of work as LSU won the College World Series.

Skenes earned College World Series Most Outstanding Player, consensus First-Team All-American and SEC Pitcher of the Year honors last season. He also was named the recipient of Dick Howser Trophy, which is awarded to the best college baseball player in the country.

He is the third member of the 2023 MLB Draft taken in the first round to get called up to the big leagues, joining Los Angeles Angeles first baseman Nolan Schanuel (No. 11 overall) and Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford (No. 4 overall).

Paul Skenes Triple-A stats

• Record: 0-0

• Innings: 27 ⅓

• ERA: 0.99

• Strikeouts: 45

Skenes started seven games this season for Triple-A Indianapolis in the Pirates system. He posted a 0.99 ERA across 27 ⅓ innings of work while striking out 45 hitters. He gave up just four runs, three of which were earned, in those starts.

As for his career minor league stats, Skenes went 0-0 with an ERA of 1.85 in 34.0 innings. He struck out 55 hitters while just walking 10.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Paul Skenes getting called up by Pirates, MLB debut set for Saturday vs Cubs