Two former LSU baseball stars taking major strides toward the majors

At this point, they might as well start calling LSU “MLBU.” The past year treated the Tigers’ baseball program as well as anyone could have hoped, and unsurprisingly, it’s already translating to the professional careers of several players. Two players in particular who are already making major strides toward the MLB are Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews. The two players helped lead LSU baseball to a national championship and are now journeying to the Double-A.

Two former LSU baseball stars have cruised through their professional careers so far

Not even two months ago, LSU baseball won its seventh national championship. Less than a month later, two former LSU baseball stars, Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews went one-two in the 2023 MLB Draft. Now, said former stars are making their way to Double-A baseball.

One of the hardest things to do in baseball is officially make the MLB. While there are 20 rounds in the draft, making a starting lineup is few and far between.

However, with that being said, Skenes and Crews are both well on their way to making it happen. Who knows, it could even end up being far sooner than many fans expected.

Both players have excelled in their short time in the professional game. Skenes made multiple starts for the Bradenton Marauders at pitcher, allowing a 0.0 ERA (Earned Run Average). In a similar manner, Crews has had no trouble, recording a 0.355 batting average in his time with the Fredericksburg Nationals.

Paul Skenes has been promoted to Double-A Altoona Curve

The beginning of pitcher Paul Skenes’ professional career has gone as well as you could imagine. While short-lived, you could see his dominance on display in his two starts for the Lower-A Bradenton Marauders.

In three total minor league starts, the former star LSU pitcher recorded zero walks and four strikes, allowing just one single in four innings. Well, thanks to his impressive performances, he’s been awarded a trip to the Double-A, as he’ll officially start for the Double-A Altoona Curve on Saturday.

So far, so good.

The @Pirates‘ Paul Skenes — MLB’s No. 3 prospect — tossed two no-hit frames for @The_Marauders on Sunday.

Over 4 IP across 3 pro starts:

1 H
0 R
0 BB
5 K pic.twitter.com/VmNmCppfjI

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 20, 2023

As Paul Skenes makes his journey up the ranks of the Pittsburgh Pirate organization, there’s little doubt that he has the attention of those in charge. When speaking on the star pitcher and their plans for his future, general manager Ben Cherington had some promising things to say.

“I don’t anticipate that we’re going to be building pitch count up,” general manager Ben Cherington told MLB.com. “We don’t anticipate [more] than 20 innings total for him this year in Minor League games. If you do the math, every outing is going to be on the shorter side. … I think it’s good that he’s pitching in competitive baseball games.”

While Skenes likely won’t make his way to the Pirates in 2023, he’s certainly on track for an early trip, whenever that may be.

Dylan Crews is set to make his way to Double-A Harrisburg Senators

Skenes wasn’t the only former LSU baseball star to receive excellent news today. Centerfielder Dylan Crews will also jump to Double-A baseball to play for the Harrisburg Senators.

Like Skenes, Crews was about as dominant as it gets in his short time playing Lower-A baseball. In his 14 games with the Fredericksburg Nationals, the star centerfielder hit a 0.355 batting average, which included five home runs, three doubles and 24 RBIs.

Not to mention, he made several big-time plays in the outfield, something LSU baseball fans grew very used to seeing during his time in Baton Rouge.

In honor of Dylan Crews being promoted to Double-A Harrisburg, here are all of his professional home runs or “Crews” missiles 🚀 pic.twitter.com/6qvblFpQ1T

— Nats Farm (@NatsFarm) August 20, 2023

Crews will have his opportunity very soon to begin making an impact at the Double-A level. The Senators have home games this week from Tuesday through Sunday, so watch for another “Crews Missile” or two.

Regardless of how long it takes the two former LSU baseball stars to make the MLB, both have been excellent in the pros thus far. With the season ending relatively soon, it would be tough for either to make the jump this year.

Still, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals made excellent selections with their picks in the 2023 MLB Draft. It’s not a matter of if they’ll turn into future stars; it’s just a matter of when.

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