Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes named to MLB All-Star Game for 3rd straight year

Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes has been named to the National League All-Star team for the third consecutive season, the Pirates announced on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Skenes joins Rip Sewell (1943-44, 1946) and Elroy Face (1959-61) as the only Pirates pitchers to be selected to the All-Star Game in three straight seasons, according to a media release from the team. Of note, there was no All-Star Game in 1945.

Skenes previously became the first pitcher and one of five players to start in the All-Star Game in each of his first two Major League seasons (2024-25), joining Joe DiMaggio (seven straight, 1936-42), Ichiro Suzuki (four straight, 2001-04), Rod Carew (three straight, 1967-69) and Frank Robinson (two straight, 1956-57).

Skenes has become the first Pittsburgh player to be named to three consecutive All-Star Games since Andrew McCutchen was selected to five straight MLB All-Star Games from 2011 through 2015.

Skenes' 2026 statistics have been a bit up-and-down thus far, with a 6-8 record, a 3.62 ERA, and 119 strikeouts over 97 innings pitched. Yet the Fullerton, California, native currently ranks fourth among all pitchers in the National League in strikeouts, behind only Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski (156), Philadelphia's Cristopher Sánchez (136) and Pittsburgh teammate Braxton Ashcraft (122).

This year's Major League Baseball All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday, July 14, at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park.