MLB: 5 possible cover athletes for the new Backyard Baseball game
By Asher Fair
Paul Skenes, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
It took Paul Skenes approximately half a dozen starts after being called up to the Pittsburgh Pirates from Triple-A Indianapolis in May to emerge as the third favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award behind Atlanta’s Chris Sale and Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler, according to the betting odds at most major sportsbooks.
And for good reason(s).
The 22-year-old Fullerton, California native has taken the league by storm since his arrival, and his numbers for a team that hasn’t exactly been known for providing a ton of run support have been off the charts.
Though he is not technically a “qualified” pitcher since he didn’t arrive in the bigs until a little over a month into the season, his ERA is almost half a run better than those of Sale, Wheeler, and MLB leader Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers.
Skenes is not only the obvious pick for a Pittsburgh Pirates representative in the new Backyard Baseball game; he is a contender to be the cover athlete. And he has the potential to be a star – in real life and in the new Backyard Sports franchise – for a very, very long time.