Paul Skenes made 4 starts in my backyard.I missed them all.
I live in the Indianapolis metro area. The Pittsburgh Pirates Triple-A affiliate, the Indianapolis Indians, play at Victory Field, a quick 30 minute drive from my place. The ballpark has earned a reputation for one of the best to take in a game with the family — most fans aren't too invested in the outcome of the games, but enjoy their chance to meet Peppa Pig, or race Rowdie on a tricycle. I like going to see the top prospects on their way to the big leagues.
In the minors, the best players don't stick around long.
You can imagine that I was thrilled back in 2024 when I learned that Paul Skenes would be entering the Pirates farm system. That almost certainly meant that he'd spent some time in Indy! What I didn't expect was that his stint with the Indians would last a mere 7 starts... only 4 of which took place in Indianapolis!
Before I knew it, he was promoted to the Pirates and he hasn't looked back since.
Skenes is an outlier, but his path blazed a trail
Top players are ascending through the minor league ranks quicker than ever before. Through 2025 and 2026, I watched Konnor Griffin tear through four minor-league levels a in twelve month span. His presence in Indy was so quick that I missed out on seeing any one of his 4 home games at Victory Field.