Pittsburgh Pirates fans won't get the chance to see Paul Skenes in the team's first home series of 2026.
Outside of Ben Roethlisberger and Sidney Crosby, you won't find an athlete who has captured the hearts of fans in Steel City recently more than Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes.
In fact, if Skenes remains in Pittsburgh for the long haul, he might have a chance of surpassing both of those legends.
Skenes has already established as one of baseball's brightest stars after just two seasons, and now, the right-hander is heading into a pivotal third season that could ultimately determine his long-term future with the Pirates.
Unfortunately, Pittsburgh fans probably won't be able to see Skenes in its first home series of the year.
Why? Because of the Pirates' rotation schedule.
"Paul Skenes is tentatively set to make his second start next Wednesday in Cincinnati, that series’ matinee finale," Dejan Kovacevic of DK Pittsburgh Sports posted on X. "Obviously would take him out of opening series at PNC Park."
The Pirates will open up on the road against the New York Mets on Thursday afternoon before heading to Cincinnati to face its NL Central rival next Monday.
Pittsburgh only has one off day throughout that stretch, which will come this Friday.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes. Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.The Buccos will then host the Baltimore Orioles for their first home series of the campaign starting next Friday. The good news is that Pirates fans will get to see Skenes the very next series against the San Diego Padres.
Skenes was selected by Pittsburgh with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft and made his big-league debut later that year, logging a 1.96 ERA while allowing 94 hits and racking up 170 strikeouts over 133 innings of work.
The 23-year-old was so impressive that he managed to finish third in NL Cy Young award voting in spite of making just 23 starts. He also earned an All-Star appearance and won the NL Rookie of the Year award.
Then, last season, Skenes pitched to the tune of a 1.97 ERA, surrendering 136 hits while fanning 216 batters across 187.2 frames. This time, Skenes won a Cy Young award and made his second consecutive trip to the All-Star Game.
Skenes' future in Pittsburgh has been a hot topic of discussion since last summer, with rumors persisting that he will eventually bolt for a big-market franchise.
For now, though, Skenes is a member of the Pirates, and he is the primary reason for all of the excitement surrounding Pittsburgh baseball heading into 2026.
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