Pirates' Paul Skenes Finishes Rookie Season with Bang
PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes finished his rookie season with a great performance in his final start vs. the New York Yankees.
He started out with getting Yankees center fielder Jasson Dominguez to ground out and then struckout both right fielder Juan Soto and left fielder Aaron Judge to end the first inning.
Skenes would then force catcher Austin Wells to foul out, got designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton to ground out right to him and then struck out third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the second inning.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton chose to bring on fellow right-handed pitcher Mike Burrows for his first MLB appearance, ending Skenes' season.
Skenes final start was 2.0 innings of work, three strikeouts to no walks and no hits over 23 pitches.
Paul Skenes this afternoon:
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) September 28, 2024
2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO
23 pitches, 17 strikes, 2 whiffs
HE FINISHES THE SEASON WITH A 1.96 ERA. NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. NOW. pic.twitter.com/TfkgWorHcG
Skenes excelled following the Pirates calling him up in early May. He started 23 games, had a 1.96 ERA in 133.0 innings pitched, allowed just 29 earned runs, 94 hits, six home runs and 32 walks, while making 170 strikeouts and holding opposing hitting to a .198 batting average. He also had a 11.50 K/9 and a WHIP of 0.95.
He is the first member of the Pirates to start for the National League in the All-Star Game since Jerry Reuss did it in 1975, 49 years ago. He is also just the fifth rookie to start an All-Star game, with Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers doing so in 1995, en route to winning NL Rookie of the Year.
Skenes also faced Soto and Judge in the All-Star game, where he walked Soto on a full-count, but managed to get Judge to ground out to end the first inning unscathed.
He starred at LSU in 2023, after transferring from Air Force. He had a 13-2 record in 19 starts, 1.69 ERA in 122.2 innings pitched, gave up just 23 earned runs and seven earned runs, while making 209 strikeouts to just 20 walks.
Skenes would enter the 2023 MLB Draft, where the Pirates took him with the No. 1 overall pick. He also signed with the franchise on a $9.2 million signing bonus, the highest ever given to a player.
He will likely earn some recognition following this season with the National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards both potential honors.
