PHOENIX (AP) — National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes was elected to the Major League Baseball Players’ Association eight-man executive subcommittee on Wednesday just six months after his big league debut.
Also new to the committee are American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth, Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt, Rays pitcher Pete Fairbanks and Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins. Rangers infielder Marcus Semien and Reds pitcher Brent Suter both remain part of the committee.
The MLBPA confirmed that all eight were elected to two-year terms. Representatives from each of the 30 MLB teams vote for the leadership positions.
Lance McCullers Jr., Jack Flaherty, Ian Happ, Austin Slater, Francisco Lindor and Lucas Giolito are the six players who completed their two-year terms and will now rotate off the executive subcommittee.
Flaherty, Giolito and Happ were among the players who in March advocated for the ouster of union deputy executive director Bruce Meyer, its chief labor negotiator. The effort, led by lawyer Harry Marino, eventually proved unsuccessful.
Players’ union head Tony Clark vowed to keep the union’s deliberations internal this summer.
The 22-year-old Skenes was called up in May and finished with an 11-3 record and 1.96 ERA. The No. 1 overall draft pick out of LSU in 2023 started the All-Star Game just two months after his promotion.
Semien is the longest-serving member, having held a spot since December 2020. Suter was elected in 2022.
The union is having its annual series of meetings in Scottsdale, Arizona, this week.
___
Blum reported from New York.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
