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The wait is over! The Pittsburgh Pirates have called up Paul Skenes. He will start his first MLB game this Sunday at home against the division-rival Chicago Cubs. Pittsburgh's most recent first overall pick proved everything necessary in the minors this season by posting a 0.99 ERA and 0.91 WHIP across seven starts.
Paul Skenes Bump Day in Pittsburgh 🔜 pic.twitter.com/8At4PBJnYN
— MLB (@MLB) May 8, 2024
Skenes has only pitched five innings or more once this season. Still, for the sake of fantasy baseball, the strikeouts and potential ratio bump should be valuable enough to compensate without a win or quality start. The Cubs offense is competent and getting healthier but has struggled this season versus right-handed pitching (like Skenes). Thus far, they rank 21st in wRC+ and 20th in OPS.
Luckily, pitching in PNC Park is more favorable than a windy day at Wrigley Field. The only worry with Skenes is first-start jitters but that is not quantifiable. He is used to big-game environments as displayed throughout a dominant stretch in the 2023 College World Series, resulting in a championship for his LSU Tigers.
BALLER MOVE: Start everywhere.
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