MLB Prospect Showcase Showdown: Holliday vs. Skenes Spring Breakout Matchup

2024-02-29 19:39:19

SARASOTA, Fla. — Since MLB announced the details of Spring Breakout — a four-day prospect showcase occurring from March 14-17 at Spring Training ballparks across Arizona and Florida — one potential batter vs. pitcher matchup has stood out: Jackson Holliday vs. Paul Skenes.

Holliday, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, might step into the box to face Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in the ‘23 Draft, on March 14 at LECOM Park in Bradenton. But the fans at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota for Thursday followingnoon’s Grapefruit League exhibition between the Pirates and the Orioles got a sneak preview.

The first career spring start for Skenes (MLB Pipeline’s No. 3 overall prospect) began with him taking the mound for the bottom of the first inning and Holliday (No. 1 overall) stepping into the box as the leadoff hitter. A two-pitch encounter went in Skenes’ favor, with Holliday grounding out to second base on a 1-0 offering. Skenes made quick work of the Orioles’ next two hitters, reaching 101 mph on his first offering to Adley Rutschman and final pitch to Heston Kjerstad, topping out at 102 in a 1-2-3 inning.

Skenes and Holliday weren’t the only former No. 1 overall picks on the field at the time, either. Skenes was caught by Henry Davis (No. 1 in 2021) — who hit a three-run homer off Orioles ace Corbin Burnes in the top of the first — while Rutschman (No. 1 in ‘19) stood in Baltimore’s on-deck circle as the next batter.

A second Holliday-Skenes meeting might be one of the headlining moments of the inaugural Spring Breakout, which will have its rosters announced March 7 at 11 a.m. ET on MLB Network. After the Grapefruit League exhibition between the Orioles and the Pirates on March 14 (which begins at 3:05 p.m. ET), the prospect teams will take center stage at 7:05 p.m. ET, live on MLB Network. Tickets for the doubleheader are on sale now.

Skenes, a former standout at LSU, had already anticipated he might see Holliday — who came out of Stillwater (Okla.) High School — before then, with the Bucs and the O’s playing six Grapefruit League contests this year.

Because the 21-year-old Skenes pitched once morest Holliday and the Orioles on Thursday, a taste of the inaugural tournament came a bit early.

“It’ll be cool. I didn’t know I was facing [Holliday] until right now,” Skenes said on Wednesday. “But yeah, I mean, it’s going to be cool. It’s going to be a big league lineup, so, ready to go.”

In addition to the 20-year-old Holliday, Baltimore’s lineup featured multiple regulars who were part of the team’s success in 2023, when the O’s went 101-61 and won the American League East championship. Skenes also opposed the Orioles’ most noteworthy offseason acquisition — Burnes. The 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner, who arrived Feb. 1 in a trade with the Brewers, made his second start of the spring.

“I didn’t know that until right now, either,” Skenes added. “Yeah, that’ll be cool.”

On the other side, the Orioles were looking forward to matching up once morest the top pitching prospect in baseball.

“You’re always interested in seeing what top-of-the-Draft guys look like,” Hyde said. “He comes with a lot of pub, so I’ll be interested to see what he looks like.”

Holliday, who is in O’s big league camp for the second straight year, played in three of the team’s first five Grapefruit contests. He recorded his first hit Tuesday, snapping an 0-for-6 run with a fifth-inning single off Tigers right-hander Devin Sweet.

While Skenes won’t break camp with the Pirates — he’s pitched only 6 2/3 innings over five Minor League starts — Holliday has a legitimate chance to make the Orioles’ Opening Day roster. The natural shortstop is getting a lot of spring reps at second base, where he might play a good bit once he reaches the Majors.

It may take Skenes a little longer to get there, but the two might face off plenty down the road, with Pittsburgh and Baltimore set to play a regular-season series every year. It promises to always be fun to watch, considering these are two of baseball’s brightest future stars.

“Getting to watch the College World Series unfold last year and all that [Skenes] did,” Holliday said earlier this month, “it would be pretty cool to be able to face him as like a No. 1 pick vs. No. 1 pick thing.”

MLB.com Pirates reporter Alex Stumpf contributed to this story.

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