(Photo by Joe Sargent/ Getty Images)
For months, most of the baseball industry believed the Pittsburgh Pirates would select outfielder Dylan Crews with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.
He was viewed as the best player in the draft by most evaluators.
However, the Pirates took a step forward this season and ceased being the worst team in the NL Central division.
They might not be ready to compete for a playoff spot, but they also shouldn’t be three or four years removed from potential contention.
They saw that impact pitching is more of an organizational need than an outfielder and decided to select Paul Skenes with the No. 1 pick this past weekend.
With the first pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, we have selected RHP Paul Skenes. pic.twitter.com/2ATWsp6Alo
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 9, 2023
Finding and developing a game-changing position player is more feasible than gaining access to a potentially top arm, and that’s why they decided to go with the pitcher.
Skenes, of course, is also worthy of the first pick.
He has an incredible arm and a big fastball known for reaching 102 or even 103 mph of velocity.
Another “pro” on the list is that Skenes, a member of the LSU Tigers, is as close to MLB-ready as it gets.
There is a chance he is ready to help the Pirates in late 2024 (potentially sooner) if things go right and he avoids any major injuries.
He is not without accolades.
Just this year, he was the College World Series Most Outstanding Player, won the Dick Howser Trophy, the National Pitcher of the Year Award (2023), and was the SEC Pitcher of the Year (2023).
The Pirates might have missed a generational prospect in Crews, but they should have an ace for the next few years in Skenes.
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