LSU baseball ace Paul Skenes breaks signing bonus record in deal with Pittsburgh Pirates
After an All-American season where he helped guide LSU baseball to the NCAA Championship, it's no surprise that pitcher Paul Skenes has inked a massive rookie contract.
Earlier this month, Skenes became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, landing with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
And Tuesday, the Tigers right-hander signed the most lucrative first contract, ballooned with a $9.2 million signing bonus, shattering the former mark set by former Arizona State player Spencer Torkelson, who signed a bonus with the Detroit Tigers in 2020 for $8.4 million.
Per MLB.com, Skenes is regarded as one of the best pitching prospects ever along with Washington Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg, who was also a No. 1 overall selection.
The 21-year-old set the LSU baseball record for single-season strikeouts with 209 during his one season in Baton Rouge after transferring in from Air Force. Skenes was college baseball's top pitcher all year, going 12-2 with a 1.69 ERA in 19 starts.
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With two appearances at the College World Series in Omaha, Skenes won both games and eventually earned Most Outstanding Player honors for the Tigers, who defeated Florida in three games for their first national championship since 2009.
No other player has earned the MOP award while winning the College World Series and go No. 1 in the MLB Draft overall in the same year.
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU/UL athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU baseball's Paul Skenes signs record bonus with Pittsburgh Pirates
