Paul Skenes isn’t interested in hype, projections, or outside expectations as the Pittsburgh Pirates head toward the 2026 season. If anything, the best pitcher in baseball is making it clear that winning on paper is never a thing.
Speaking recently about where the team stands entering the year, Skenes showed a lot of confidence in his roster, but knows that none of this matters until games are played.
“It’s looking right now like we have a better roster than last year,” Skenes said, per Lancaster Online. “But if we want to win, we have to go out there and do it.”
On paper, the talent level has improved, especially offensively. The rotation has more depth (if the youngsters develop), the lineup has more stability, and the organization has begun to lean into its young core rather than doing what it has for a long time.
The 2025 season offered glimpses of what Pittsburgh could be, and reminders of how far it still has to go. The Pirates played stretches of competitive baseball, mainly on the mound, and showed they aren’t intimidated by the best of the best. Skenes made sure to highlight that point.
“Everybody expects the Pirates to [struggle], but we freakin’ swept the Dodgers last year at home,” Skenes said. “There’s nothing saying we can’t impose our will on other teams all year. You talk about culture. The Brewers are an example of culture. But it doesn’t just happen. We can’t just decide, ‘Yeah, we’re gonna be really good,’ then not do anything about it.”
Skenes wants the team to force that respect through consistency, wins, and culture. Culture is something the Pirates have sadly lacked for a long time. That mindset matters, especially coming from a player still early in his career but already viewed as the face of the franchise.
When your best player sets that tone, it carries weight in the clubhouse and is a good sign for the rest of the young guys.
With Skenes anchoring the rotation, expectations naturally rise, but many still view Pittsburgh as the bottom of the bottom in baseball. Hopefully, that will change this season.