No. 1 pick Paul Skenes signs reported record deal with Pirates fresh off College World Series MOP with LSU

Paul Skenes is having a great summer.

The former LSU pitcher won College World Series Most Outstanding Player honors and numerous National Player of the Year awards while leading the Tigers to a national championship win over rival Florida in June.

On July 9, the Pittsburgh Pirates made Skenes the No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft. Now he has signed with the Pirates for a $9.2 million bonus, the biggest in the history of the draft, according to multiple reports. The deal eclipses the previous record $8.4 million bonus Spencer Torkelson signed with the Detroit Tigers in 2020.

Past deals like those for Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper prior to the draft's modern slot value era technically included more guaranteed money, but Skenes' bonus is the largest ever.

The Pirates announced the deal Tuesday. The team didn't confirm the reported terms.

Skenes posted a 1.69 ERA and 0.750 WHIP with 209 strikeouts and 20 walks in 122 2/3 innings last season while pitching primarily against SEC competition. He finished CWS play with a 1.15 ERA and 21 strikeouts in two starts en route to MOP honors.

He joins the Pirates with both the best fastball and best breaking ball in his draft class, according to Baseball America. He also possesses the fifth-best changeup in his class, per BA. His fastball tops out at 102 mph.

Skenes doesn't project to spend much time in the minor leagues. BA's Peter Flaherty III assesses his ability as "elite" with "Cy Young upside." He'll start his career in the Florida Complex League before his eventual call-up to Pittsburgh, where he projects as the team's long-term ace.