Paul Skenes follows up Pittsburgh debut with touching gesture that should worry MLB rivals
The first overall pick of the MLB Draft, Paul Skenes, made his debut this past weekend, impressing for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
First-overall draft pick Paul Skenes made his debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates this past weekend, striking out seven hitters in an impressive performance with him promising to donate $100 to charity for every strikeout this season. The generational pitcher from LSU has had to wait to make his debut, but shined against the Chicago Cubs with girlfriend Olivia Dunne in attendance.
Related articles
And after the game, it was revealed that Skenes will donate $100 to a US veterans charity for every strikeout he records in the 2024 campaign - already at $700 after his first outing. The Gary Sinise Foundation shared the news on its website, with a statement from the 21-year-old.
He had written: "I deeply care about our veterans and first responders who make tremendous sacrifices in defending our country and protecting our communities. Having veterans in my own family, and having spent two years at the Air Force Academy, my mission is to now support these heroes and their families.
"I am proud to be partnering with the Gary Sinise Foundation and will personally donate $100 per strikeout I record during the 2024 season to this fantastic foundation. Please join me and together let’s make a difference."
Skenes is seen as one of the best prospects to join the Pirates team, with fans eagerly awaiting his debut ever since he was drafted last July.
On debut, Skenes showed exactly why he's rated so highly, with seven strikeouts, allowing just three earned runs, six hits and walked two in 84 pitches.
The Pirates were 6-1 up when Skenes had been pitching, before he was counted out of the game before the Cubs tied up the score. Pittsburgh were able to rally back after a rain delay - winning 10-9.
Follow us on X for the best and latest in sports news
The pitcher was given a great reception from the fans after his debut, with cameras cutting to Dunne who had cheered him on from a suite. Dunne has been a huge supporter of Skenes, with them making their relationship public last year, after meeting each other at LSU.
An online personality with over 10 million followers across her social media platforms, Dunne is being labeled as the 'MLB Taylor Swift'.
Dunne, like Swift, made her first appearance at a game with their partner's team playing against Chicago, when the pop singer had been in attendance for the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Bears in September.
