Pat McAfee has been highly impressed with what he’s seen thus far from Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes. On a recent episode of the “ Pat McAfee Show,” the sports analyst praised the star MLB pitcher, asserting he was the right person to lead the Pirates back to prominence. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, McAfee has seen his fair share of bad Pirates teams over the years.
It’s been nine years since the downtrodden franchise last made the playoffs, with its most recent postseason appearance ending in a loss to the Chicago Cubs in the 2015 National League Wild Card Game. But the tides appear to be turning for the better in Pittsburgh, thanks in large part to the emergence of Skenes. Since being called up to the majors in May, the 22-year-old has already cemented himself as one of the best pitchers in the league.
Through eight starts this season, Skenes boasts a 4-0 record and 2.14 ERA with 61 strikeouts. The young phenom ranks as one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the league, with Baseball Savant listing the average speed of his four-seam fastball at 99.
3 mph - the fourth highest in MLB . Cincinnati Reds pitcher barfs on mound immediately after throwing 95 mph fastball Livvy Dunne responds to 'Hawk Tuah' comments on new bikini photos with Paul Skenes Skenes’ dominance on the mound has generated a considerable amount of buzz around the league. Among the pitcher’s biggest fans is McAfee, who believes he’s single handedly reviving the baseball culture.