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Pirates' Top Prospect Had Bold Message for Paul Skenes After Opening Day Starter Nod

Karl Rasmussen

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes pitches against the Cincinnati Reds
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes pitches against the Cincinnati Reds / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
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The Pittsburgh Pirates unsurprisingly named Paul Skenes the team's starting pitcher for Opening Day when they take on the Miami Marlins on March 27.

The team released a wholesome video of manager Derek Shelton informing Skenes that the ball would be in his hands to start the 2025 season. After the clip made the rounds online, Skenes told Pirates sideline reporter Hannah Mears that he received a rather bold message from the Pirates' top prospect Bubba Chandler.

Chandler, a right-handed pitcher who's expected to debut at some point in 2025, reached out to Skenes via text to congratulate him on the Opening Day nod, before informing the reigning Rookie of the Year that it may very well be his last time toeing the rubber for Pittsburgh's season opener.

"The cool thing is, he sent me a text when the video came out today and he said, 'It's gonna be tough next year when you're starting day two,'" Skenes said, detailing the message he received from Chandler.

Skenes made clear he was greatly appreciative of that type of message from his soon-to-be teammate. MLB Pipeline heralds Chandler as the No. 15 prospect in all of baseball, and the 22-year-old clearly isn't lacking any confidence as he continues to work his way up to the highest level.

Whether he's actually able dethrone Skenes for the top spot in the Pirates' rotation remains to be seen, but it seems as if Chandler is ready to compete for it when he does arrive in MLB.

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Karl Rasmussen
KARL RASMUSSEN

Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.

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