The First of (Hopefully) Many Battles
Flamethrowing rookie phenom Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates went head-to-head last night with Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, perhaps the greatest hitter on the planet. Indeed, the rivalry feels like it’s been years in the making. After all, while still in high school, Skenes scored free tickets to Ohtani’s MLB home debut.
Pat O’Sullivan, a brand manager at Topps, said, “The hype leading up to this matchup made it a can’t-miss event,” O’Sullivan said. “Learning that Skenes attended Ohtani’s debut and was a fan of his added another level of intrigue.”
Neither the future star nor the reigning MVP disappointed. In their first-ever battle, Skenes delivered a huge statement, blowing Ohtani away with three straight 100-mile-per-hour fastballs. The first-inning at-bat lasted all of 46 seconds. But, when Ohtani stepped in to face Skenes for a second time, Pirates fans were treated to fireworks of a different kind. On a full count, Ohtani finally caught up to Skene’s heat, knocking a home run to straightaway center.
O’Sullivan is certain that Skenes is a player collectors should keep an eye on. “He’s demonstrated the ability to pitch at this level and get the job done against some of Major League Baseball’s best hitters,” O’Sullivan said.
