Could Paul Skenes Be Best Pitcher in Pirates History?
For many, it can be a bit far-fetched to project where a player will end up when their career is all said and done after their first season, though, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes wasn't like most rookies.
Bleacher Report broke down one thing every MLB team learned from the 2024 season, and for the Pirates, they depicted Skenes as "What they've been waiting for." Along with Skenes being touted as a potential franchise savior, Bleacher Report quipped about whether the 2023 No. 1 overall pick could soon be the best pitcher in franchise history.
"He's the first live-ball era starter to post a sub-2.00 ERA as a rookie," Bleacher Report writes. "Also by way of his ERA, he was even the best pitcher in baseball after he debuted on May 11. As such, it sure seems like the Bucs chose wisely when they opted for Skenes with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft. It's only one year, but he's already not that far from cementing himself as the best pitcher the Pirates have ever had."
Skenes' rookie season was nothing short of historic. He was 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts and struck out 170 batters over 133 innings pitched. Skenes was also the first pitcher in MLB history to have an ERA below 2.20 and over 150 strikeouts through their first 21 appearances and the first since 1913 to have an ERA below 2.00 in their first 22 appearances.
Bleacher Report also noted the Pirates' history of pitchers and how things are set up for Skenes to quickly ascend the franchise's ranks if he maintains this torrid pace. Vern Law in 1960 and Doug Drabek in 1990 are the only pitchers in franchise history to win the Cy Young Award. Had Skenes been in the big leagues for the entirety of the 2024 season, him winning the award wouldn't have been out of the question.
If Skenes can replicate his success from this season, it'd be tough to dispute his chances of one day becoming the best pitcher in franchise history. It'd just be a matter of the Pirates keeping him in Pittsburgh long enough to earn that accolade.
