He hasn’t even turned 30 yet, but the Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels) Kids are already on the rise, and he’s the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
On the 10th (KST), the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft was held in Seattle, USA. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who had the “worst” winning percentage among the 30 teams in Major League Baseball last year, won the first overall pick and selected Paul Skens.
바카라Schenn, born in 2002, is a former Louisiana State University pitcher who has been described as an “all-time great”. Schenn is the quintessential “fireballer,” with a top velocity of 102 mph (164.2 km/h) and an average velocity of 98 mph (157.7 km/h) in college, and his fastball scored an 80 on MLB Pipeline’s 20-80 scale.The mere mention of Strasburg, who was called a “monster” in college, is an indication of the talent he possesses. “Schenn is the best college pitcher since Stephen Strasburg (Washington),” said MLB.com, “and his college performance is reminiscent of Strasburg. Like Strasburg, Schenn throws a dominant triple-digit (100+ mph) fastball and slider.”
His collegiate numbers have been “overwhelming. In 19 games this year, Schenn struck out a whopping 209 batters in 122⅔ innings, which MLB.com noted was “more than 50 more strikeouts than the next pitcher.” In 19 games, Skens compiled an impressive 12-2 record with a 1.69 ERA and led the University of Louisiana to the College World Series title.
He was named the College World Series Most Valuable Player and became the first player in history to be drafted with the No. 1 overall pick, as he allowed just four earned runs and posted a 1.11 ERA in four starts, while striking out 42 batters in 32 1/3 innings to lead the University of Louisiana to the World Series title. Skens has been a pitcher this year, but last year he played first base, catcher and outfield. Last year, he went 10-3 with a 2.73 ERA in 15 games as a pitcher, and hit .314 with 13 home runs and 38 RBIs in 52 games as a hitter, while his collegiate career batting average was .367 with 24 home runs, 81 RBIs, and a 1.122 OPS in 119 games.
He also became the first collegiate player to reach the 10-win, 10-homer plateau in a season, and he credits Otani for his “Idoryu” performance. Schenn has been an Angels fan since he was a kid, and since 2018, he’s been watching Ohtani on the field. “Ohtani has been an influence on him,” Schenn told MLB.com.
It will be interesting to see what Skens, who grew up watching Ohtani and is considered to have a talent comparable to Strasburg’s, will do in the professional ranks. He could be the next Ohtani.