How LSU baseball star Paul Skenes transformed into the top pitcher in the 2023 MLB Draft
BATON ROUGE – Craig Skenes never bets against his son.
It's what he told LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson when Johnson was recruiting his son, Paul Skenes, while Paul was in the transfer portal last summer. It's also what he said less than a month before Paul threw an eight-inning shutout for the Tigers against Wake Forest in the 2023 College World Series on only four days of rest, helping send LSU to the CWS final.
"We've never betted against him just because he continues to surprise in so many different ways over the course of his life, and I think the last few months have been a great example of that," Craig said.
Those past "few months" for Paul have included...
Setting the SEC record for strikeouts in a single season with 209.
Posting a 1.69 ERA in 122⅔ innings pitched while walking only 20 batters all season.
Becoming the potential No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft and, almost certainly, the first pitcher selected.
Winning the Dick Howser Trophy, awarded to the top college baseball player of the year.
Helping lead LSU to its seventh national championship in program history.
Here's how Craig's son, a transfer from the Air Force Academy, transformed into the superstar ace that accomplished it all in just one season at LSU.
"I've always been surprised at what he's been able to do," Craig said. "I (just) don't know what his limitations are.
"And I don't think in his head he has any."
Paul Skenes' transformation
Even before he evolved into becoming the best pitcher in college baseball, Paul was already an All-American prior to his arrival at LSU.
In two seasons at Air Force, he played catcher and blasted 13 home runs as a sophomore to pair with his duties on the mound. He was a closer as a freshman and then started 15 games the next season, posting a 2.73 ERA.
It's why the original plan for Paul when he arrived at LSU was to be a two-way player.
But it soon became clear, through the dominance he displayed against LSU's hitters during fall practices, that his sole focus needed to be on pitching. While working with new pitching coach Wes Johnson in LSU's state-of-the-art pitching lab, Paul's fastball velocity skyrocketed into the triple digits and his slider improved to the point where it became an elite secondary offering.
He also become more athletic on the mound, as LSU was able to maximize not only Skenes' skill but also his body, in large part thanks to strength and conditioning coach Derek Groomer and the Tigers' weight training and conditioning program.
According to Craig, Paul has added around 40 pounds of pure muscle over the last year.
"In the last couple of years he was at the Air Force Academy, and I think this probably happens at other schools too, from the beginning of the season towards the end of the season, a lot of players lose weight just because they're burning more than they're consuming typically," Craig said. "And for Paul, he typically lost 10-15 pounds over the course of the season. And this year, I think he's been able to maintain weight, if not gain a little bit."
Jay said that shifting Paul's focus to just pitching – not having him swing the bat, run the bases, etc. – has allowed him to burn fewer calories and maintain the strength he's built up this season.
And the results blew Craig away.
"To me, he looks like a defensive lineman," Craig said.
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The mental side of Paul Skenes
Jay was walking back to his seat on the bus during LSU's last regular-season road trip when he caught a glimpse of Paul's notes.
"These notes that were being written, handwritten, (had) like perfect handwriting and he had this video he was watching which was obviously a high-level thing about mindset and preparation," Jay said.
Whether it's showcasing his leadership skills in the locker room or meticulously analyzing his pitching mechanics through watching video of his own starts, Paul never left a stone unturned at LSU when it came to the mental side of the game.
It's an aspect of his greatness that has not gone unnoticed by his teammates.
"He separates himself mentally. He's just locked in all the time," Cade Beloso said. "I'm not talking about the locker room or anything like that, but when he's on the field or when he's (doing) weights, he's not letting anything else distract him."
Paul has always been more mature than his years would suggest. His high school coach Michael Gonzales remembers him being easy to talk with back when he was 12.
Craig says that the time Paul spent at the Air Force Academy only further accelerated his son's mental development. In his eyes, it's when his boy became a man.
"The moment that he entered the Air Force Academy ... I think he entered a different phase of his life than what I would normally consider a normal dropping of a normal college student at a different school," Craig said. "... I think (his mother and I) have been really impressed at how he's developed as a man over that period."
It's one of the many reasons why Craig believes the sky is the limit for his son.
"I never bet against Paul," Craig said.
Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU baseball: Paul Skenes' development before 2023 MLB Draft
