Getty Paul Skenes
The Pittsburgh Pirates might be out of playoff contention, but their rookie flamethrower Paul Skenes isn’t slowing down.
Skenes etched his name further into the Pirates history books on Monday night, September 9 when he passed Cy Blanton for most strikeouts by a Pittsburgh rookie in franchise history.
He finished the game, a 3-2 win over the Miami Marlins, with nine strikeouts, giving him 151 for the season. He has done that in only 20 starts.
As a rookie, Skenes is averaging 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings. He also boasts a 2.10 ERA and only 2.3 walks per nine.
His manager, Derek Shelton, has been an MLB coach since 2005, spanning time with Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Toronto, and Minnesota before arriving in Pittsburgh. He has seen his share of greats.
“I can’t think of anybody I’ve seen that’s been that strikeout-heavy, especially early in their career,” Shelton said, per Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. “I’ve watched guys that have done it that have been elite pitchers throughout their careers, but I don’t know that I remember anybody being a rookie that has been like that.”
Paul Skenes Puts His Performance into Perspective
Skenes is only 22 years old, but he is used to the spotlight. He won the Men’s College World Series at LSU and was the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Months later, the Pirates selected him No. 1 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft.
The rookie knows the right thing to say in a given situation. Monday was no different as he acknowledged his accomplishment while talking about staying in the moment.
“It’s a game and I think the biggest thing is focused on being in the moment and staying present,” Skenes said. “All that other stuff is cool, but I think that’s a product of being in the moment and staying present over the course of the season. Just executing individual pitches and then that kind of shows up when you start tallying that stuff up.”
But Skenes is human. Even a guy who inked a $9.2 million signing bonus at age 21 can step back and realize the weight of his accomplishments.
“That’s pretty dang cool every time,” Skenes told reporters, according to an ESPN wire story. “So, yeah, just keep showing up for the games. And hopefully, I mean, the goal is to keep giving them moments like that.”
Skenes Is Still Making the Most of his Rookie Season
As with any rookie pitcher, it’s reasonable to worry about Skenes’ innings count as September wears on. The Pirates are not in contention and one could forgive the organization for shutting him down rather than let him pitch in meaningless games.
Skenes isn’t ready for that.
“I’m 22. I’m conditioned to throw a lot of innings, I think,” he said, per ESPN.
Between Triple-A and the Majors this season, Skenes has thrown 147.1 innings. That’s only about 20 innings more than he threw last season between LSU and the Minor Leagues.
Assuming the Pirates stick to their current rotation schedule, Skenes will get three more starts, which should put him around the 165 inning mark. Looking ahead, that may be ideal for the Pirates. With 2025 being Skenes’ probable first full season in the majors, the Pirates would not want to have to worry about an innings limit. Especially if they are in contention down the stretch. 165 innings this year should make 180-200 next year doable.
And Skenes wants to make himself clear: He is not tired yet.
“I’m not tired, really,” he told Stumpf. “Not feeling anything abnormal. It’s just a matter of finishing in the sprint to the end here.”
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