LSU baseball right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes has been selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the No. 1 overall pick in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

At 6-foot-6 and 247 pounds, Skenes had one of the greatest pitching seasons in LSU and SEC history this past spring.

After spending the first two years of his career at Air Force as a pitcher and a catcher, Skenes transferred to LSU and posted a 1.69 ERA in 122⅔ innings pitched as a full-time starting pitcher. He struck out 209 batters (an SEC single-season record) and only walked 20 batters in 19 starts.

Skenes also posted a 2.15 ERA during SEC play and allowed just two earned runs in 15⅔ innings pitched at the 2023 College World Series. He also won the Dick Howser Trophy and was named National Player of the Year by D1Baseball and Collegiate Baseball.

Here's what the Pirates are getting in Skenes.

Strengths

Skenes may be the hardest throwing amateur starting pitcher in draft history, as his fastball consistently sat between 97-101 mph throughout starts, occasionally touching 102-103 mph. The fastball isn't straight either, often tailing away to left-handed hitters and inside to righties.

He pairs the fastball with an A+ slider (more sweeping than gyro) that sits in the mid-80s and a changeup, as he's able to command all three pitches at an elite level. Skenes only walked 11 batters in 10 starts in SEC play this season.

This year was Skenes' first year as a full-time pitcher after he also played catcher and hit at Air Force. He was a good hitter at Air Force – blasting 13 home runs and posting a .314 batting average in his final season – but his transition to becoming a pitcher full-time allowed him to build more muscle and refine his mechanics on the mound.

Skenes' lack of experience on the mound also means that he has less wear and tear on his arm than most top pitching prospects. His thick frame should also help him avoid injuries as he goes deeper into his career.

Weaknesses

Skenes' changeup will need to improve in order for him to reach his Cy Young potential. The pitch has had its moments – proving to be a useful weapon against Tennessee in Omaha – but is still closer to average than plus.

His dominance this season has also been a relative blip on the radar in comparison to the rest of his career. Whether Skenes can continue this level of dominance on a year-to-year basis has yet to be determined.

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Overall

Skenes had one of the greatest pitching seasons in college baseball history this season, proving himself to be arguably the best college pitching prospects since Stephen Strasburg.

Like Strasburg once was, Skenes can easily be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher at the next level. And if everything goes right, Skenes has the chance to be the best pitcher in baseball and a perennial Cy Young candidate.

Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Pittsburgh Pirates select LSU baseball's Paul Skenes in MLB Draft 2023