There might not be a better pitching prospect in the major leagues right now than Paul Skenes.
In fact, there isn’t, because last year’s top MLB draft pick is the number one ranked pitching prospect in all of the minor leagues. The 21-year-old righty was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates in last year’s draft, and he’s quickly and certainly lived up to all the hype he built himself in his college days at Air Force and LSU.
Oh, and he also happens to be dating one of the most popular college athletes in the world right now, LSU gymnast and influencer Olivia Dunne.
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Skenes currently plays for the Indianapolis Indians, the minor league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his four AAA starts, he has yet to give up a run, and has thrown more 100 MPH pitches than any other pitcher in the MLB and minor leagues… and it’s not even close:
It’s baffling that Skenes hasn’t been called up yet to play in the big leagues, though I’m sure his time will come soon enough. He’s already getting plenty of attention for his accomplishments, and joined The Pat McAfee Show in person earlier today to talk about throwing gas and potentially getting the call to pitch for the Pirates.
All of that is exciting, but the biggest takeaway from his interview was this: Paul Skenes is a big fan of country music. McAfee asked what kind of music the pitcher likes to listen to, and he didn’t hesitate when he answered with “country.”
Skenes apparently listens to country music “all day,” and though he mixes things up from time to time, he told Pat McAfee that he’s currently dedicating a lot of his listening to two different artists:
“Right now its Charles Wesley Godwin and Shane Smith and the Saints.”
Of course McAfee got excited when he heard CWG mentioned: McAfee played college ball at WVU up in Morgantown, which just happens to be Charles’ hometown, and his favorite team.
And hey, we hear you loud and clear here at Whiskey Riff.
Charles Wesley Godwin and Shane Smith (and the Saints) continue to put out incredible new music, and they both deserve more mainstream attention. Maybe a plug from Paul Skenes, the hottest prospect in baseball, can help out with that.
And maybe it’s time to get him and Livvy out to a show?
Both artists and their respective bands have plenty of tour dates this summer, so make sure to check them out if you can. And while you are at it, you might as well listen to the latest episode of Whiskey Riff Raff, which featured an interview with Shane Smith:
And it looks like Charles Wesley Godwin and Shane Smith have since returned the favor to Paul Skenes for his shoutout on The Pat McAfee Show:
