Paul Skenes has an impressive sports background, one that runs in the family. His father, Craig, was a professional basketball player for several years, and his grandfather was a successful basketball coach. Paul decided on baseball instead of following exactly in his father’s footsteps, and his incredible talent from a young age led him to try out for the 12-and-under U.S.A. national team. He ultimately made the cut, helping the national team clinch second place at the 12-U COPABE Pan American Championships in 2014.
Paul grew up in Orange County, California, with his father working for a pharmaceutical company and his mother Karen being a full-time stay-at-home mom to Paul, his older sister, Lauren, and his younger sister, Kristen. Paul’s family also has a rich military background, with two of his uncles serving in the Navy and another serving in the Coast Guard.
His high school counselor, Rebecca Clark, remembers him being a kind and respectful young man with an undying optimism about him. “Dealing with teenagers, as you might be aware, they can sometimes not be all that positive and upbeat,” Clark explained to the Lafayette Daily Advertiser. “And that was something that he was definitely: positive and upbeat.”
