LSU right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes was the No. 1 overall pick in Sunday’s MLB Draft. The next guy off the board? His teammate and LSU’s other superstar player.
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected the dominant pitcher as the top pick in the draft, giving them the rights to arguably the most dominant collegiate pitcher of the modern era – a guy who some think could pitch in the MLB right now.
Skenes was an absolute man child at LSU. He transferred from Air Force prior to this season and developed into a monster. In 19 starts, Skenes posted a 12-2 record with a 1.69 ERA. In 122.2 innings, he struck out an SEC record 209 batters and opponents hit just well below .200 against Skenes, allowing him to have a minuscule 0.750 WHIP.
Skenes was one of several players the Pirates considered with the pick, including also LSU standout Dylan Crews who went No. 2 overall to the Washington Nationals.
Like Skenes, Crews has all-world upside. He hit .426 with 18 home runs and 70 RBI last season, reaching base safely in every game of the Tigers’ title-winning season. Crews had a .567 OBP last season and an absurd .498 OBP for his entire 3-year collegiate career.