"We have something extremely special” - When ex-Air Force coach Ryan Forrest saw Paul Skenes' potential during his first bullpen session as a cadet

Last year’s no. 1 overall draft pick, Paul Skenes, has been a topic of discussion since his brief appearance in spring training. If everything goes well, the Pittsburgh Pirates' top pitching prospect will have his debut at PNC Park against the Chicago Cubs this Saturday.

Despite his immense fan following as one of MLB’s top promising talents. very few fans know that Skenes was once a cadet at the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. Rustin Dodd of The Atheltic talked about Skenes’ whole journey from being a sophomore at the high school in Orange County to becoming the MLB headline last July.

Skenes was a two-way star, a catcher/pitcher, at EL Toro High in Lake Forest, Calif. According to Air Force coach Mike Kazalausky, Skenes had two possible destinations in mind, either the Navy or the Air Force.

When the COVID-19 pandemic halted almost every high school baseball season, Skenes took off for six weeks to complete hellish basic cadet training. Ryan Forrest, a former Air Force pitching coach, was one the earliest to recognize how gifted Skenes was when he casually flirted with 93 mph pitches in his first bullpen season of the fall semester.

“Typically, guys go through that and they lose 6 or 7 mph on their fastball,” Forrest said, via The Athletic. “That was the first time I was like: We have something extremely special here.”

He wasn't wrong. Skenes was gifted enough to lead LSU’s Tigers baseball team to the College World Championship last season while establishing himself as one of the best college pitchers in the past 20 years.

In his time with the Indianapolis Indians, Skenes left no room for complaint about his potential. He posted a 0.99 ERA in seven starts in 27.1 innings in the Triple-A league.

Paul Skenes ready to take the Cubs on Saturday

Paul Skenes is set to make his Major League debut for the Pittsburg Pirates against the Chicago Cubs tomorrow. All eyes will be on the 21-year-old prospect and how he manages the big-league pressure.

Skenes has already started his "homework", reading scout reports of the Cubs line-up and analyzing them before Saturday's big moment.

"Yeah, homework started yesterday to be honest, or really right when I found out I was pitching against the Cubs," Paul Skenes told MLB Network. "Bottom line, it's just a game. Hitters have weaknesses, and it's about exploiting those and using my strengths to get them out."

If he can manage to hold himself to his usual level, Skenes will definitely be one of the best in the coming years.