Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, already one of Major League Baseball’s most electrifying young pitchers, took a brief detour from his dominant 2025 campaign to visit the West Virginia Baseball Biomechanics & Performance Center in Morgantown, WV on August 21. The trip wasn’t just a casual stop for Skenes; it was a homecoming of sorts, reconnecting with Mountaineers assistant coach Jimmy Roesinger, who mentored him during his formative years at Air Force from 2021 to 2022.
For the Mountaineers, Skenes’ visit was more than a brush with fame. It was a hands-on masterclass from a pitcher who has rapidly become the talk of the majors. He didn’t just shake hands and pose for photos—he threw a pitching session and spent time with the WVU team, sharing insights and inspiration. The official WVU Baseball account celebrated the occasion on social media, posting, “Thanks for visiting @WVUbiomechanics and talking with the team! Welcome back anytime!”
West Virginia’s baseball program has been on a tear in recent years, making three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and securing back-to-back NCAA Regional titles—a testament to the program’s rise as a collegiate powerhouse. The Mountaineers’ pipeline to the pros is impressive, with recent alumni like Victor Scott II (St. Louis Cardinals), John Means (Cleveland Guardians), Alex Manoah (Toronto Blue Jays), Michael Grove (Los Angeles Dodgers), Ryan Bergert (Kansas City Royals), and Kade Strowd (Baltimore Orioles) all carving out roles in the big leagues. Infielder J.J. Wetherholt, widely regarded as one of baseball’s top prospects, is currently turning heads at Triple-A Memphis in the Cardinals organization.
But it was Skenes who stole the spotlight this week, and for good reason. His journey from collegiate stardom to major league dominance has been nothing short of meteoric. After excelling at Air Force, Skenes transferred to LSU in 2023, where he put together one of the most remarkable seasons in college baseball history. In 19 starts, he posted a 13-2 record with a minuscule 1.69 ERA over 122.2 innings, surrendering just 23 earned runs and racking up a jaw-dropping 209 strikeouts against only 20 walks. That performance didn’t just help LSU capture a National Title—it also rocketed Skenes to the top of every MLB scout’s wish list.
The Pittsburgh Pirates made their intentions clear, selecting Skenes as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. The franchise didn’t hesitate to invest in its future ace, signing him to a record-setting $9.2 million signing bonus—the highest ever awarded to a draft pick. Skenes wasted little time making his mark in the minor leagues, dominating hitters at every stop and earning his call-up to the majors on May 11, 2024.
From the moment he stepped onto a major league mound, Skenes looked every bit the phenom scouts had projected. In his rookie season, he started 23 games, compiling a 1.96 ERA across 133 innings. He allowed just 29 earned runs, scattered 94 hits, surrendered only six home runs, and issued 32 walks while striking out a remarkable 170 batters. Opposing hitters managed a paltry .198 batting average against him, and his 11.50 strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) and 0.95 WHIP placed him among the league’s elite.
Skenes’ impact wasn’t limited to regular season stats. He broke a nearly half-century drought for the Pirates by becoming the first team member to start for the National League in the All-Star Game since Jerry Reuss in 1975. Even more impressive, he became just the fifth rookie in MLB history to start an All-Star Game, following in the footsteps of legends like Hideo Nomo, who accomplished the feat in 1995 en route to winning NL Rookie of the Year honors. Skenes’ rookie campaign ended with a sweep of accolades: he was named NL Rookie of the Year, made the All-MLB First Team, and was a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award.
Fast forward to the 2025 season, and Skenes has only elevated his game. As of August 22, he leads all of MLB with a league-best 2.16 ERA, boasts the third lowest opposing batting average at .198, ranks fifth in strikeouts with 174, sixth in WHIP at 0.96, and sits seventh in innings pitched at 154.0. His consistency and dominance have made him the first pitcher ever to start consecutive All-Star Games in the first two seasons of his career—a feat that speaks volumes about his talent and the trust he’s earned from coaches and fans alike.
What’s the secret to Skenes’ rapid ascent? Those who know him best point to his work ethic, adaptability, and willingness to learn from every opportunity. His bond with coaches like Jimmy Roesinger remains strong, as evidenced by his recent visit to West Virginia. For the Mountaineers’ players, getting a chance to interact with Skenes was a rare opportunity to glean wisdom from someone who’s already achieved so much in such a short time. The WVU Baseball Biomechanics & Performance Center, known for its cutting-edge approach to player development, provided the perfect setting for this meeting of past and present baseball minds.
As the MLB season barrels toward its final stretch, all eyes are on Skenes as he chases his first NL Cy Young Award. He’s already proven he can handle the brightest lights, but the next few weeks could cement his status as one of the game’s premier pitchers. Pirates fans, meanwhile, are dreaming of a future anchored by their young ace, whose combination of power, poise, and precision has reinvigorated a franchise hungry for postseason glory.
Back in Morgantown, the echoes of Skenes’ visit linger. For the Mountaineers, it was a reminder of how far their program has come—and how close their players are to reaching the game’s highest levels. For Skenes, it was a chance to give back and reconnect with the roots that helped shape his remarkable journey. And for baseball fans everywhere, it was another chapter in the unfolding story of a pitcher who just keeps getting better.
With the season still in full swing and the stakes rising by the day, Paul Skenes remains at the center of the baseball universe. His recent visit to West Virginia may have been brief, but its impact—like his fastball—was impossible to miss.
