Paul Skenes reveals whether he plans to hit and pitch in the MLB

LSU baseball star Paul Skenes plans to bring more than just his pitching prowess with him to the MLB. Skenes also has plenty of ability as a hitter, even if he didn’t get to show it this past season with the Tigers.

That should change once he reaches the pros. Appearing on the KayRod Cast for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, Skenes revealed that he intends to not only do damage on the mound, but also at the plate in the MLB.

“Absolutely,” he said of his plans to hit and pitch. “Obviously, I didn’t hit this past year, but I’ve hit. I was actually a primary hitter coming into college and then I just started pitching my senior year of high school and it kind of blossomed into what it is now. But I’m 6-foot-7 and I’ve caught my whole life. I don’t know how that totally works. But yeah, I’ve hit my whole life and obviously started pitching the last few years. I’ve done both for the past few years and want to continue to do both as long as I can.”

Paul Skenes sees pitching AND hitting in his future 👀 pic.twitter.com/F6Hf9M85a0

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) July 3, 2023

Skenes transferred to LSU this past season from Air Force and helped to lead the Tigers to a College World Series title against Florida. He was clearly the top pitcher in all of college baseball, ranking second with a 1.69 ERA and leading the nation with 209 strikeouts.

That was on display for the whole country to see in LSU’s CWS run, as Skenes impressed multiple times on the big stage. With the Tigers facing elimination in a game against Wake Forest, he didn’t allow a run while giving up only two hits and striking out nine batters in eight innings.

LSU didn’t need Skenes to hit this past season, but he showed he could in the two years he spent at Air Force prior to his arrival in Baton Rouge. Skenes had a batting average of .367 in that span, recording 24 home runs to go along with 81 RBIs.

He’ll hope to pick up where he left off in the MLB, where Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani has proven it’s possible to succeed at the plate as well. Skenes is a projected top draft pick, and MLB.com has him going No. 2 overall to the Washington Nationals.

No matter where he lands, however, Skenes will look to use his unique skillset to make an impact in a variety of ways. Rounds 1 and 2 of the MLB Draft are set to begin July 9 at 7 p.m. ET.