Rookie pitching sensation Paul Skenes is not just known for his powerful throws on the mound but also for his signature look — a towering frame and a distinctive mustache.
However, when Paul Skenes first began pitching, transitioning from catcher to pitcher at the Air Force Academy, he was clean-shaven. That’s because the academy has strict rules on facial hair, allowing only neatly trimmed mustaches. Most cadets, Skenes included, chose a smooth, clean-shaven style during their time in Colorado.
Things changed after Paul Skenes transferred to LSU to continue his collegiate career. It was then that his now-famous mustache made its debut — all because he ran out of razors on a road trip. Instead of hunting down a new razor, Skenes decided to keep the look.
“I just thought, screw it, I’m keeping the mustache,” he told ESPN’s Ryan Hockensmith. His former coach from Air Force, Mike Kazlausky, wasn’t a fan. He even tried to persuade Paul Skenes’ girlfriend, LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, to get him to shave it off during the All-Star Game this year.
“Your mustache is a stupid-a– mustache,” Kazlausky jokingly told Skenes at the event in Arlington.
But many baseball fans would beg to differ — they love the mustache!