High School

Mick Abel, former Jesuit star, outduels Paul Skenes in Major League pitching debut

Andrew Nemec

May 18, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Mick Abel (40) throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
May 18, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Mick Abel (40) throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Have a day, Mick Abel!

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Phillies prospects made his Major League debut and left quite an impression.

The 6-foot-5, 190-pound right-handed pitcher went six scoreless innings, striking out nine while allowing five hits and zero walks.

Even more impressive? The Phillies were able to pick up a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates with Paul Skenes on the mound.

Abel entered his MLB debut as the Phillies' No. 8 prospect after being selected with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2020 draft.

Here's what MLB.com had to say about him as a prospect:

"Taken in the middle of the first round of the shortened 2020 Draft, Abel brought size, outstanding stuff and what seemed to be a good feel for pitching for a high schooler to the Phillies organization. Despite struggling more with his command than anticipated, he climbed the organizational ladder and reached Triple-A in 2023, pitching in the Futures Game that summer. His control regressed even more with a return to Triple-A in 2024, though the Phillies still added him to the 40-man roster during the offseason."

It's a fitting debut for a player who is considered one of the best to ever come out of the state of Oregon.

As a junior at Jesuit High School, Abel led the Crusaders to a 6A state championship and he was named Gatorade Player of the Year as both a junior and senior.

During his celebrated prep career, Abel accumulated an 18-3 record with a 1.98 ERA and 213 strikeouts.

He was the No. 3 high school prospect in the country and drew rave reviews from his coaches, teammates and opponents.

"“Mick is a once-in-a-generation talent," said Kevin Gunderson, Abel's summer coach. "He is calm on the mound, but is a fierce competitor on the inside. Mick never lets the other team get comfortable. He attacks you from pitch one until the very last pitch.”

It remains to be seen if Abel will develop into an MLB star.

But it doesn't get much better than his MLB debut this weekend.

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Andrew Nemec
ANDREW NEMEC

Andrew Nemec covers national high school recruiting and brings more than a decade of experience. Andrew hosts "Recruiting with Andrew Nemec" on ESPN-affiliate 1080 The FAN in Portland, Oregon. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Oregon.

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