Paul Skenes won the MLB's Rookie of the Year award last season with ease. As the All-Star starting pitcher for the National League, his accomplishments were tough for rest of the field to match.
Skenes will be looking to make year number two as good as his debut in 2025, with the hype seeming to only grow, rather than fizzle out.
Ahead of his Saturday matinee spring training start against the Baltimore Orioles, Skenes was flooded with autograph requests from fans. Take a look at how many people were competing for his John Hancock:
Skenes might miss opening day...signing all this stuff. 🤣 https://t.co/nYoC7pCUPl pic.twitter.com/31kwc9E1pF
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 22, 2025
It's no surprise that people want to get Skenes to put Sharpie down on their memorabilia. A 1-of-1 debut patch card just sold for seven figures to a shop that plans to put it on display for fans. It's been some time since a pitcher has come in and dominated straightaway as much as Skenes has. Whether for sale or just part of a personal collection, he has one of the most coveted signatures in MLB right now.
Skenes pitched 3.1 innings striking out four, walking one, and giving up just a hit against the O's on Saturday. Obviously, he is the Pirates' opening day starter.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Unreal Snapshot of Paul Skenes' Autograph Crowd Is Claustrophobia-Inducing .
