Skenes was one of several Southern Californians who were selected on the first day of the MLB draft, which consisted of the first two rounds as well as all competitive balance round picks.
Paul Skenes, a Lake Forest native who starred at El Toro High School before winning the 2023 National Pitcher of the Year Award with Louisiana State, was chosen first overall in the Major League Baseball amateur draft Sunday by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Skenes went 12-2 with a 1.69 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings for the Tigers, who won the College World Series title. Teammate Dylan Crews was the second player chosen overall by the Washington Nationals.
“It feels like a lot of work and a lot of surrounding myself with the right people, and doing the right things for a long period of time,” Skenes said in an interview with MLB Network after the pick was announced.
