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July 10 (UPI) — LSU’s Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews made history on Sunday night as the first teammates to be selected as the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in an MLB Draft, joining the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals respectively.
Seattle Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. announced the selection of Paul Skenes in Seattle. Skenes is the first pitcher to be chosen as the No. 1 overall pick since 2018 when the Detroit Tigers selected Casey Mize.
“It is taking time to process it,” Skenes told MLB Network. “But it’s [taken] a lot of work, surrounding myself with the right people and doing the right things for a long period of time.”
Paul Skenes, aged 21, recorded the second-best ERA (1.69) in the nation with the most innings pitched (122 2/3) to help the Tigers win the 2023 College World Series.
He led college baseball with 209 total strikeouts and an average of 15.33 per nine innings. Skenes also had the fifth-best mark in the nation with only 5.28 hits allowed per nine innings.
The 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher, known for his fastball that can reach speeds of over 100 mph, achieved a record of 12-2 and received multiple Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year honors. He also earned the College World Series Most Outstanding Player Award.
Dylan Crews, also 21, received the prestigious 2023 Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player in the United States. The talented outfielder had a batting average of .426, the third-highest in college baseball in 2023. He also led the nation with 71 walks and 100 runs.
Crews ranked second in the nation with 110 hits and a .567 on-base percentage. In his 71 games for the Tigers, he hit 18 home runs and achieved 70 RBIs.
The other Top 5 selections included outfielder Max Clark from Franklin Community High School (Ind.), outfielder Wyatt Langford from Florida, and outfielder Walker Jenkins from South Brunswick High School (N.C.). The Detroit Tigers chose Max Clark as the No. 3 overall pick, while Langford and Jenkins were selected by the Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins at No. 4 and No. 5 overall respectively.
Shortstop Jacob Wilson (Oakland Athletics), pitcher Rhett Lowder (Cincinnati Reds), catcher Blake Mitchell (Kansas City Royals), pitcher Chase Dollander (Colorado Rockies), and pitcher Noble Meyer (Miami Marlins) completed the Top 10 selections.
The Washington Nationals chose Miami third baseman Yohandy Morales as the No. 40 overall pick to kick off the second round. Coverage for rounds 3 through 10 will begin at 2 p.m. EDT Monday on MLB.com.
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