Most pitchers spend the night before facing the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers resting. Paul Skenes spent his time at a Little League field.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ace was headed home Monday when he passed by Vestal Field in Wexford, Pennsylvania, seeing the light still on and stopped by to watch the Ingomar Frtanling Park Little League practice. It didn’t take long for players and parents to spot him. He stayed over a couple of hours, signing autographs, posing for photos and playing catch, according to MLB.com's Aiden Stepansky.
Eddie Dubis, an Ingomar coach and board member, was there.
"Seeing the smiles on the boys' faces was just unbelievable," Dubis told Stepansky. "They were totally starstruck, in awe of what happened."
Skenes, a two-time All-Star and the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, has become the face of baseball in Pittsburgh since the Pirates selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft. Organizers said more kids signed up to play for Ingomar in 2026 than they could remember.
The Pirates bring a record of 34-32 into Tuesday's game against the Dodgers, with Skenes scheduled to start. He brings a 6-5 record with a 2.83 earned run average with 82 strikeouts across 70 innings.
© Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Stopping by a local Little League field was a reminder of the journey that brought Paul Skenes to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ingomar's volunteers hope that it isn't the last. They plan on sending Skenes a custom team jersey and a care package of gear.
