Two former No. 1 overall picks. Both Pittsburgh superstars.
At the time of writing, Pittsburgh Pirates ace pitcher Paul Skenes, 23, is starting in his second consecutive MLB All-Star Game, doing so after representing the Pittsburgh ball club the first time during his sensational, National League Rookie of the Year-winning campaign last season.
Not many professional athletes, let alone average Joes, know the pressure that comes with the label of being a first overall draft pick.
Luckily for Skenes, he landed in a city where the pro hockey team also drafted a generational superstar with the No. 1 overall pick of the draft.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby finally got the chance to meet the pitcher who has taken Major League Baseball by storm at Pat McAfee’s “Big Night Aht” event at PPG Paints Arena earlier this year.
“I’ve been following him,” said Crosby.
Crosby is listed at 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, whereas Skenes is a hulking brute of an athlete at 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds. And Skenes’ size was the first thing Crosby took note of.
“First thing that stands out, he’s a big guy,” Crosby said. “If he’s pitching from the mound, I mean, the ball is coming out of his hand like, 10 feet closer. He’s that tall. And he already throws it super hard.”
“Then, seeing how mature he is, you can tell he takes it really serious, he has a lot of pride in his game. You see the highlights of him getting ready for games, all the different stuff he does, and then his performances speak for themselves. But I think you don’t get to that level without putting in a lot of hard work and having a mature approach. I think he’s got that.”
Being that the No. 1 overall pick and presumptive face of the franchise can bring many mental hurdles for athletes to overcome. Crosby believes Skenes has the intangibles to accomplish what’s in front of him.
“It’s probably challenging, but at the same time, I think it’s a good challenge. He’s the right guy to want that challenge, invites that challenge,” Crosby said. “I think the coolest thing is just how much pride he has in being part of Pittsburgh. He’s a guy that wants to win, and I think between him and Andrew McCutchen, I don’t think you could have two better guys to try to build a team around. Those two guys, that’s pretty good.”
Skenes also recognized Crosby’s 20 years of greatness as the face of the NHL and the modern face of the Penguins, adding that he will look to Crosby as something of a role model moving forward.
“He’s a guy that kind of transcends the sport, I think. It’s such a huge honor to be able to have a city know you, and for you to be beloved by the city,” Skenes said. “So, being here forever and winning and doing all that, but also just the type of person he is – that wouldn’t happen unless you’re just an A-plus person.
“It sets an example for people that are in my position and all of our positions to hopefully follow, just because he’s such a unique person, and the city of Pittsburgh has embraced him that way. So, definitely looking up to him now, I’m going to be looking up to him for a while.”
Even as Skenes remains in the infancy of his professional career, while Sidney Crosby is on the back nine, both players seemingly share a mutual respect for one another, being in a select brotherhood of No. 1 overall picks who can create magic and carry an unmistakable aura in their respective sports.