On Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Paul Skenes with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

With this first round selection, LSU has now had Top 10 draft picks two years in a row, as Jacob Berry was taken with the No. 6 overall pick to the Miami Marlins in the 2022 MLB Draft. While Skenes was only at LSU for one season after transferring from Air Force, the impact he made on the program can ultimately be displayed by the national championship the team just won.

Skenes won the 2023 Dick Howser Trophy, named after former collegiate and MLB player and manager, Dick Howser. The award is given to the national college baseball player of the year. He also was awarded the Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series and the SEC Pitcher of the Year.

Skenes was given National Player of the Year honors from D1 Baseball and Collegiate Baseball, and National Pitcher of the Year honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Skenes’ statistics at LSU this past season certainly support the fact that he was the top pitcher taken in the 2023 MLB Draft. He finished the season with 209 strikeouts, which led the country and set both an LSU and SEC record for most strikeouts in a single season. He also finished with a 1.69 ERA, the second lowest in the country, and a 0.75 WHIP, the lowest in the country.

For only being at LSU for a season, Skenes made sure he did all he could for the team and his own career. It’s safe to say he put himself in a pretty good position for both, as he ends his collegiate career as a national champion, and is a top pick in the MLB Draft with the potential to impact the Pirates soon.