Yankees GM Brian Cashman crowns Paul Skenes as 'best starter' ahead of Spring Training

If the Pittsburgh Pirates hit gold, it is likely diamond-studded gold, having selected Paul Skenes in the 2023 MLB Draft. Very few, if any, would have entered the big leagues in this manner, for the hype building around the mammoth ace out of Louisiana State University is unimaginable to behold.

Paul Skenes Set to Shine as MLB’s Next Big Star

Every move is a spectacle for the baseball world to behold as if they, too, held their breath. New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman, one of baseball's most respected insiders, spoke on Skenes and his rare talents. Cashman told an interesting story about Yankees special assignment scout Jim Hendry, who saw Skenes work prior to the draft. Hendry was very positive; instead, he told Cashman that Skenes was, in his opinion, the best starter he had seen in 10 to 20 years of witnessing amateur talent.

"Jim Hendry saw him in the draft and told me that’s the best starter he’s seen amateur-wise in 10-20 years," Cashman recalled, his voice tinged with admiration. "Unfortunately, we didn’t lose enough games to be in a position to pull that one." A hint of regret there, perhaps? After all, it’s not often a future star like Skenes comes along, and the Yankees—currently mired in a rebuilding phase—could have used a pitcher with such electrifying promise.


Unfortunately, he too knows a thing or two about evaluating talent. Having spent decades scouting some of the best names in the game, his judgment does hold great weight. And when Hendry spoke so highly of Skenes, Cashman listened real close. "He told me back then in real time I saw the best starter I've seen, and he showed it," Cashman continued, recognizing what that simply verifies in the latest evidence of Skenes at the right-hander's incredible performance on the mound in his last season with LSU-no mistake.

For the uninitiated, be ready for a show. As we'll soon find out, Skenes has matched everything to the best in the game, boasting an arsenal of offerings including a fastball that lingers in the 98-100-mph range, a destroyer slider, and a changeup that can break the knees of the most learned hitter. In Houston, mixing a blend of dominance with a Tigers team that took the College World Series title in 2023 and then sending him toward the top of almost every team's draft board has made some scouts drool over Skenes.


He has made an exemplary ascent through the ranks. Skenes has emerged within a really brief time frame as one of the best, if not quite the best, college pitchers-not just within this draft but perhaps anywhere in a long time. He's not likely to be too far from being the face of Pirates' rotation if early minor league showings are any indication. Fans in Pittsburgh and everywhere else can't wait to see this kid in the big.

Cashman and Hendry, however, both agree on one thing- Paul Skenes is a name to watch whereas the Yankees might just live with the what-ifs. And of course, that means Skenes could rule the MLB world for years to come.




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