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Paul Skenes is smiling from ear to ear, draped in red, white and blue, along with the rest of his teammates, as they begin the first exhibition game representing Team USA at the World Baseball Classic at Papago Sports Complex in Phoenix. Skenes told the MLB Network why it means so much to represent his country in the games.
"First and foremost, I care because I'm from America. I love America. I've seen the WBCs in the past, and there's no bigger stage or no greater honor than wearing USA across your chest," he said ahead of the game.
There was another reason Skenes said he cared, and that had to do with a mission greater than self and service.
"I went to the Air Force Academy for two years. I wanted to serve. I was intending to serve and ended up transferring to LSU. Won a national championship there, did some cool stuff there. But there was a big part of me that was fully intent on serving in the military as a career after college," he explained.
In 2022, Skenes told The Daily Advertiser that, just as he was about to participate in his first fall practice at LSU, he entered the transfer portal over the offseason because he wanted to see if he had what it took to make it in the majors. And that meant the star pitcher and hitter at Air Force had to withdraw from the academy before his junior year because he might have to enlist.
"So even if you're still in Minor League Baseball or Major League Baseball, if you're still in the Air Force, they can pull it away from you, which isn't a super common thing, but you see it occasionally."
Skenes said he had always felt a strong pull to serve and had never really given a serious thought to a career in baseball when he arrived at the academy. Two seasons later, after hitting 24 home runs and posting a 2.77 ERA in two, the pull to pursue baseball became real.
Skenes said that the people he met at the academy made him the person he is today.
Skenes, who won the prestigious Cy Young Award last year while pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates, has shown that imprint with how he leads his life outside of the spotlight. He has teamed up with the Gary Sinise Foundation, donating $100 to the organization for every strikeout that he has.
The 23-year-old has been unequivocal about why he is pitching in the World Baseball Classic, and that it is to honor the men and women in the military, he told the Athletic.
"This is the greatest country in the world. That's what I believe. That's why I wanted to serve, why I went to the Air Force Academy. And those folks don't get the recognition they deserve," he said.
"We're doing it to represent the men and women who are fighting for us, along with many other things that make this country the greatest country in the world. That puts it into perspective a little bit," Skenes added.