Paul Skenes to start 2nd straight All-Star Game for NL and Tarik Skubal to open for AL
Major League Baseball made the announcement Saturday night.
Skenes will become the first pitcher to start consecutive All-Star Games since Washington's Max Scherzer and Boston's Chris Sale in 2017 and '18. Sale started three in a row beginning in 2016.
Skenes and Skubal are 1-2 in average four-seam fastball velocity among those with 1,500 or more pitches this season, Skenes at 98.2 mph and Skubal at 97.6 mph, according to MLB Statcast.
Skenes worked around Juan Soto's walk in a scoreless first at Arlington, Texas, last year, throwing at up to 100.1 mph. He made the start after just 11 major league appearances, the fewest for an All-Star.
Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski, with five appearances, could take over that mark Tuesday if he pitches.
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Skubal pitched a perfect second inning in his first All-Star appearance last year, following Baltimore's Corbin Burnes to the mound.
A 23-year-old right-hander, Skenes is 4-8 despite a major league-best 2.01 ERA for the Pirates, who are last in the NL Central. The 2024 NL Rookie of the Year has 131 strikeouts and 30 walks in 131 innings.
Skubal, a 28-year-old left-hander, is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. He is 10-3 with a 2.23 ERA, striking out 153 and walking 16 in 121 innings.
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