(Phoenix) Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes will start for the Nationals in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday night.
Skenes will become the fifth rookie pitcher to receive the honor, after Arizona Diamondbacks and National League manager Torey Lovullo confirmed the news Friday.
“It’s such a well-deserved honor for him,” Lovullo said.
The 21-year-old right-hander was selected first overall by the Pirates in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. Skenes made his debut on May 11. Since then, he is 6-0 in 11 starts, with a 1.90 ERA and 89 strikeouts.
In his last start, Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers, he gave up no hits in seven innings of work.
Dave Stenhouse (1962), Mark Fidrych (1976), Fernando Valenzuela (1976) and Hideo Nomo (1995) are the other rookie All-Star starters, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Skenes’ 11 career games are the lowest total for a player making an appearance at baseball’s midseason classic, according to Elias. Fidrych and Nomo held the previous mark with 13.
Skenes is the first Pirates pitcher to start in an All-Star game since 1975, when Jerry Reuss gave up a scoreless three innings on the mound.