Paul Skenes showed a glimpse into his soul after the most significant moment of his career, which has already included numerous memorable milestones in just two seasons.

The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander took part in two teleconferences with the media after unanimously winning the National League Cy Young Award on Wednesday night. He first talked with baseball writers from around the country, then with media from the Pittsburgh area.

Skenes has been pleasant to deal with since making his MLB debut six weeks into the 2024 season. However, his answers have rarely been revealing despite emerging as one of the faces of the sport and being in a high-profile romantic relationship with influencer/gymnast Livvy Dunne.

Things were much different on Wednesday night than they were last November when Skenes won the National League Rookie of the Year. He smiled, looking much happier this time. Yet what impressed me the most was when Skenes asked to expand on an answer when he referred to "stewards of the game."

"At the end of the day, if I do nothing else in this game, I'm the 2025 Cy Young Award winner," Skenes said. "What does that get me? You can talk to people who won the award in 1965, and now, people probably don't know their names. Pick whatever year. There are people who have won the award before, and people probably don't know their names.

"The recognition is great. It's temporary. It's about advancing the game, making the game better, making the Pittsburgh Pirates jersey that I'm wearing better. From the time I got here to the time I leave. We're stewards of the game. We're stewards of the city of Pittsburgh. It's a whole lot bigger than all of us, and everybody needs to realize that, I think. Because the 6-year-old who's playing t-ball is a steward of the game, too. We're making the game better for him or her. We need to realize that."

That quote shows impressive self-awareness for a 23-year-old star, who became just the second pitcher to win Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award in consecutive seasons. It illustrates how grounded he is, even after winning two major awards, being the NL's starting pitcher in the All-Star Game in each of his two seasons, and having a minuscule 1.96 ERA in 55 career starts.

Skenes isn't eligible to become a free agent until 2029. However, the low-budget Pirates will likely trade him before then. Skenes will probably be shipped out after the 2027 season, when he'll become extremely expensive through the salary arbitration process.

So, Pirates fans should enjoy Skenes while they can. He is a special pitcher and person.