The Pittsburgh Pirates are finally within striking distance of an MLB playoff position in June, which has been a rarity in the past several seasons. A large reason for their recent success is obviously starter Paul Skenes, and despite losing Skenes’ start on Tuesday against the Dodgers, the Pirates backed their ace up on Wednesday with a 5-run electric comeback to improve to 35-33. In a tight NL Central, the Pirates are in third place, and with how bad the Chicago Cubs are playing, Pittsburgh’s offense has shown enough to believe the team can compete through the summer months.
However, another thing that should be on Pirates fans/analysts/insiders, and that’s when the team will come to grips with extending Paul Skenes. Ex-Pirates manager Clint Hurdle recently spoke with Kyle Odegard via ActionNetwork, and provided some insight on the Paul Skenes extension talks.
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Clint Hurdle Comments on Paul Skenes Contract Extension Talks
GettyPITTSBURGH, PA – JUNE 09: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park on June 9, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Paul Skenes has undoubtedly been the best pitcher in the National League when he broke into the MLB in 2024. Since then, he has been an NL Rookie of the Year, an NL Cy Young Award, a 2X MLB All-Star, and has an ERA title.
Dominant would be understating how good Skenes has been, and while many believe it may be hard for the Pirates to extend Skenes because of his market value, manager Clint Hurdle says that the team has found the money for other players, so how come they ‘can’t’ for Skenes?
“I mean, they found money for Mitch Keller. They found money for Bryan Reynolds. They found money for Konnor Griffin. If you’re ever going to find money for somebody, this is the guy you find money for.”
Hurdle also talked about Skenes ‘blue-collar mentality’:
“He’s identified with Pittsburgh. He’s bought in. That’s a city that’s based on hard work, on no BS, on a blue-collar mentality. He’s got all that. He wants to be a part of the group that turns it around, kind of like we did in ’13, ’14, and ’15.
“Re-bond the city with the ball team, because there’s been a lot of lean years since I left. Their last winning season was ’18. The arsenal is real. The guy is real. The competitor is real. Now just stay healthy Paul, and go get ’em.”
Mitch Keller is tied to a five-year, $77 million contract. Bryan Reynolds deal is worth $106.5 million, and most recently, Konnor Griffin signed for $140 million over nine seasons.
Even if it’s harder to commit to a starting pitcher long term than it is for a young position player, Skenes is no ordinary player, and you could argue he’s already one of the best pitchers in Pirates history.
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Paul Skenes Stats Over First 69 Starts
GettyPITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 12: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park on May 12, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Paul Skenes has almost 70 starts over his 3-year MLB career, and let’s break it down, and you can be the judge if he’s worth perhaps the most lucrative contract for a pitcher in MLB history.
Over 69 starts, Skenes’ ERA sits at 2.13 with 475 strikeouts in 396.2 innings. His K/9 innings pitched is 10.8, and he holds a lifetime WHIP of 0.945. That’s a nearly 400-inning sample size since breaking into MLB as a 21-year-old, and not allowing more than 1 singular base runner/inning over three seasons.
This season, in 76 innings, Skenes has an ERA of 2.84 with 89 strikeouts. His FIP (2.54) suggests that 2.84 ERA should creep down a little bit, but despite actually getting hit around a few times this season, Skenes’ ERA remains under 3.00.
If I were the Pirates, much like Hurdle notes, I would try to ‘find’ the money for Paul Skenes.
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