A Pirates fan's hilarious and bizarre interaction with Paul Skenes at an airport is gaining traction on social media.
After an anonymous fan texted his friend, X user Bacon Burt, about meeting the rookie pitcher, the latter couldn't help but post screenshots of the thread for the masses to see.
In the thread, Burt's friend texted about meeting Skenes “on my flight from Chicago to Pittsburgh.”
He also attached a photo with the former LSU star, but moved it over his head to hide his face. Skenes stood next to the fan, dressed in a gray shirt and gray jacket.
“I look really weird because I'm nervous,” he explained about covering his face.
“Then I saw him come out of the bathroom and I went and tackled him,” the text continues.
A Pirates fan met Paul Skenes at an airport and had him sign the cover of his book.
“He was super nice, I told him I had come back early from (Scotland) specifically to see his debut and he thought that was great.”
The following text made Burt laugh as his friend tried to seal the meeting with an autograph from Skenes.
Submit a photo of your book's author page with Skenes' signature partially written in the bottom paragraph.
“He signed my copy of Crime and Punishment because it was the only thing I had with me,” she explained, to which Burt responded, “LMFAOOOOOO.”
After being selected by Pittsburgh with the first overall pick, Skenes had an incredible rookie campaign last season.
Skenes went 11-3 with an impressive 1.96 ERA in 133 innings with 170 strikeouts and a 2.45 WHIP.
However, the Pirates failed to make the playoffs this season and finished last in the National League Central with a record of 76-86.
Skenes insisted his team will enjoy a much more successful year in 2025, saying in September: “We will be better next year.”
'We're going to win a lot more games next year. So keep them coming.'
The pitcher was crowned National League Rookie of the Year in November.