Paul Skenes on Air Force players in MLB
DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) - It's quite the weekend for former Air Force pitcher Paul Skenes who is back in Colorado for the first time as a major leaguer.
While Skenes won't pitch in front of the Colorado crowd, his return is significant. Skenes is having a terrific rookie season. He's one of two Air Force players, along with Griffin Jax, who are shining.
"I think it'd be stupid to put money against an Air Force grad in making it to this level, because they're going to find a way," Skenes said before Friday's game. "There are a couple that are there right now that... I'm putting my money on them, getting here real soon too."
Those players are Sam Kulasingam, the two-time Mountain West player of the year, and Jay Thomason, the Mountain-West’s all-time home run king.
"Sammy K and Jay Thomason, they're studs," Skenes said. "They're going to be playing the game for a long time. I think I got to see both of them in St. Louis... It was cool to talk to them about their experiences, obviously graduating from the Air Force Academy. But also talk to them a little bit about what to expect in the next couple of months because it's going to be a cool couple of months for them."