COLLEGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Paul Skenes didn't want to leave the Air Force Academy a year ago. He liked being a part of the team, which had won the Mountain West Conference Tournament in 2022 and reached the Austin Regional final, and he had long wanted to serve in the military. But a combination of MLB's draft rules and the Air Force's service requirements led him to transfer so that he could more freely pursue a baseball career.
That led him to Louisiana State, where he dominated the sport this season. Skenes, following his start in super regionals, was 12-2, 1.77 with 188 strikeouts and 18 walks in 107 innings. He led the nation in strikeouts and had more than any college pitcher since Trevor Bauer racked up 203 in 2011.
Skenes' sensational season helped lead LSU to the College World Series for the first time since 2017. It also pushed him to the top of draft boards, and he's expected to be the first pitcher taken this July-if not the first player drafted. College coaches and MLB evaluators both agree that they have not been a college pitcher like Skenes since at least Stephen Strasburg in 2009.
For those reasons and more, Skenes is the 2023 Baseball America College Player of the Year. He is just the second player in LSU program history to win the award, fittingly joining Ben McDonald, who won in 1989. Skenes is chasing McDonald's 202 strikeouts that season, which is both the program and SEC record. McDonald is also the only player in program history to be drafted first overall.
Coming into the year, Skenes wasn't quite sure what to expect at LSU. He was joining a team and a program with national championship expectations. He was a two-time All-American as a catcher/righthander at Air Force and he knew LSU would be different.
The reality, especially the fans' reception of him, has blown Skenes away.
Denne historien er fra June - July 2023-utgaven av Baseball America.
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Denne historien er fra June - July 2023-utgaven av Baseball America.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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INDEPENDENT SPIRIT
Following the dissolution of the Pac-12, Oregon State embraces the uncertainty-and challenge of playing with no conference affiliation and remaining a national power
MLB FEELS THE LOSS OF MR. BASEBALL, BOB UECKER
Bob Uecker was never afraid to laugh at himself. His sense of humor endeared him to millions and earned him a place of reverence in the game, making his Mr. Baseball moniker entirely fitting.
BASEBALL LOSES RICKEY HENDERSON, ITS MAN OF STEAL
From roaming the hallways at Oakland Technical High to breaking records down the road at the Oakland Coliseum, left fielder Rickey Henderson personified the heart and grit of his home city.
A WINNING COMBINATION
More talent and better training methods have made college baseball a more attractive precursor to pro ball. Preseason No. 1 Texas A&M typifies this talent-rich new reality.
IT'S NOT HOW YOU START
Evidence mounts that baseball players, especially pitchers, should aim to peak around age 20
WHY COLLEGE BASEBALL COACHES ARE PURSUING OLDER ROSTERS
Nick Mingione was certain about two things heading into the 2023 season, his seventh at the helm of Kentucky's baseball program.
TWINSPIRATION
Witherspoon twins Kyson and Malachi draw inspiration from their determined single mother and each other as their baseball journey leads them to the front of Oklahoma's rotation
SURVIVE AND ADAPT
To be a college baseball coach is to be at the whim of the money-making sports, football and basketball. Success in such an environment is dependent on resiliency and malleability.
INDEPENDENT/PARTNER LEAGUES PLAYER OF THE YEAR ADAM FOGEL, MISSOULA PADDLEHEADS
Adam Fogel sets the Pioneer League home run record in a season to remember
MINOR LEAGUE EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR MIKE ABRAMSON, HARTFORD YARD GOATS
Hartford GM Mike Abramson’s tireless dedication has made the Yard Goats one of the best tickets in the minor leagues
