Paul Skenes will throw his first pitch at the All-Star game tonight to the Major Leagues’ leading hitter, Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan. It won’t get an easier after Kwan, who is hitting .352 this season. American League manager Bruce Bochy’s lineup has Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson – with 28 home runs already – followed by the Yankees’ Juan Soto and Aaron Judge – with a combined 57 homers – then sluggers Yordan Alvarez of the Astros, the Guardians’ José Ramirez, Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Orioles’ Adley Rutschman, and the Rangers’ Marcus Semien. The Orioles’ Corbin Burnes is the AL starting pitcher.
Skenes, of course, will likely not see the bottom of the lineup, as he is expected to throw only one or two innings.
National League manager Torey Lovullo’s lineup is just as potent, if not as famed. He will lead off with Diamondbacks’ second baseman Ketel Marte, followed by the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper of the Phillies, the Brewers’ William Contreras and Christian Yelich, the Phils’ Alec Bohm, All-Star Home Run Derby winner Teoscar Hernández of the Dodgers, and the Padres’ Jurickson Profar.
Skenes has been taking in the All-Star atmosphere and, sitting beside Lovullo at a media event yesterday, was grateful for the opportunity to start.
Skenes is eager to take his shots against the American League’s loaded lineup.
Thinking back a year to when he was the first overall pick in the MLB Draft, Skenes said it’s been quite a journey, especially considering he’s had only eleven Major League starts.
We are 315 players into the MLB Draft and the third and final day is today, with another 300 prospects left to go in rounds eleven through twenty.
Yesterday, the Pirates chose eight players, five of them college pitchers. They started with Wake Forest left-hander Josh Hartle in the third round, then took Eddie Rynders, their third high school shortstop of the draft, who is likely going to be shifted to third base because of his power bat. Perhaps their most intriguing pick of the day was fifth round choice Will Taylor, an outfielder who a couple of years ago passed up potential first round money to play baseball and football at Clemson. He tore his ACL playing football and has struggled to catch back up, hitting only .230 for the Tigers this spring before breaking his wrist in April and missing the rest of the college season.
The draft resumes this afternoon at two o’clock.
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