Beyond Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is laser-focused on leading his team to the postseason.
Don Kelly was asked what the next step looks like for Paul Skenes, the ace of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ talented and young starting rotation.
“First two steps have been really good,” said Kelly, the Pirates' manager, with a laugh.
It would be almost impossible to pitch better than Skenes has since making is major league debut on May 11, 2024. He has a 21-13 record, a 1.96 ERA in 55 starts, a 0.948 WHIP, and 386 strikeouts in 320 2/3 innings.
Skenes was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2024 and the NL Cy Young Award winner last season. And he is still just 23 years old.
So, what more can Skenes accomplish this season?
“Make the playoffs?” he said rhetorically.
Pittsburgh was 71-91 last season and 76-86 in Skenes’ rookie year. However, the Pirates believe they can be contenders this season following a busy winter that saw them add second baseman Brandon Lowe, right fielder Ryan O’Hearn, and designated hitter Marcell Ozuna to an anemic lineup and hard-throwing left-handers Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery to the bullpen.
Pittsburgh also fired pitching coach Oscar Marin two days after last season ended and replaced him with Bill Murphy, one of the Houston Astros’ pitching coaches.
It turns out that Skenes had something to do with the Pirates upgrading their roster. He had conversations with owner Bob Nutting and general manager Ben Cherington at the end of last season and periodically throughout the offseason.
“They were listening to me, and I would assume others with some of the changes that have been made,” Skenes said. “So, it's good to see. But you’ve got to go out there and compete. You can get emotional about adding to the roster and get excited, but ultimately you’ve got to go out there and compete.”
Skenes having just 21 wins in 55 starts despite a sub-2.00 ERA certainly does not speak to a lack of competitiveness. Though he has never complained publicly, Skenes has been hurt time and again by a lack of run support or poor defense.
Kelly believes a stronger roster will benefit Skenes and that his work ethic will allow him to have even more success in 2026. Skenes will make his first spring training start on Wednesday when Pittsburgh visits the Atlanta Braves in a Grapefruit League game in North Port, Fla.
“All I know with Paul is he works his tail off every single day,” Kelly said. “We get to see him start every five days. The four days in between are what separate him: the way he works, his commitment to his craft, the detail he goes into every single day to make himself not just a good pitcher, but a great pitcher. He wants to be elite.
“His first two years have been unbelievable. Just really excited about seeing his development and him continuing to get better, because he does. That's what he does every single day: he shows up. Shows up to win and shows up to get better himself.”
Pirates Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Pirates. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.