Pirates Star Named Top MLB Player For Next 25 Years
Rarely does a player have the kind of season that makes any expectations seem within reach, but Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes did just that with his historic rookie season.
Bleacher Report predicted the top 25 athletes for the next 25 years and had Skenes crack the top 10, listing him at No. 9.
"Projecting a young pitcher for stardom is always tricky, even when they have already enjoyed success at the highest level, as there may be no position in professional sports more susceptible to injuries and general inconsistency," Bleacher Report writes. "However, Paul Skenes looks like a generational talent."
Despite not making his MLB debut on May 11, the Skenes still strung together a historic rookie season, going 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts and set a franchise record for a rookie with 170 strikeouts over 133 innings pitched. He was also the first pitcher in MLB history to have an ERA below 2.20 and over 150 strikeouts in their first 21 games and the second pitcher since 1913 to have an ERA below 2.00 through their first 22 appearances.
Skenes, 22, was the top MLB player in Bleacher Report's top 25 rankings. He finished ahead of New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (21), Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (19) and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (12).
Skenes was the first Pirates pitcher to win the National League Rookie of the Year and finished in third place for the NL Cy Young Award. The Pirates star was just the fifth rookie to finish in the top three for the Cy Young Award. If Skenes had won, he would have been the second rookie to win the NL Cy Young Award, joining Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Fernando Valenzuela.
It isn't far-fetched to believe Skenes would have had a chance to win both awards if he had begun the 2024 season in the big leagues. If Skenes' rookie season was a sign of things to come, more accolades and the Pirates having the best pitcher in baseball could be what lies ahead for the foreseeable future.
"If the Pittsburgh Pirates had put him on the Opening Day roster, there's a very real chance he would have joined Fernando Valenzuela as the only rookie pitchers ever to win Cy Young," Bleacher Report writes. "The 6'6", 235-pound right-hander started the All-Star Game, won NL Rookie of the Year honors and checks all the boxes to be a perennial Cy Young contender for the next decade-plus."
