Yankees vs. Pirates prediction: Paul Skenes props, picks, odds

Saturday’s matinee between the Pirates and Yankees will be Paul Skenes’ last appearance of a masterful splash into the big leagues.

The 2023 first-overall pick out of LSU has been the most electrifying pitching prospect we’ve seen since Stephen Strasburg, sustaining a 98.8 mph average on his fastball and ringing up nearly 11½ strikeouts per nine innings.

Skenes’ strikeouts prop line against the Yankees is set at 6.5, which he’s exceeded in 73 percent of his 22 starts.

No matter what version of the Yankees lineup that Aaron Boone opts to deploy, this will be the highest pitching WAR leader the Bombers have faced behind Tarik Skubal, Zack Wheeler and NL Cy Young favorite Chris Sale, who was the only one of those three to hit at least seven strikeouts in their respective meetings.

In a tiny sample size, Skenes drew two hesitant whiffs with his sinker from Juan Soto, whom he walked, and made quick work of Aaron Judge on a one-pitch groundout in the All-Star Game.

That sinker can snip corners low-and-away, which is why it’s his most popular put away pitch, striking out hitters at a 26.7 percent rate on two-strike pitches.

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He’s the runaway -250 favorite to win National League Rookie of the Year at BetMGM and — not that this game could significantly hurt or help his campaign in the abstract — we can expect the young pitching sensation to conclude his breakout season emphatically on a big-market stage.

The play: Skenes Over 6.5 strikeouts (FanDuel, -125).

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.