Paul Skenes Shares Moment He Knew Pirates Were 'Winning' Team
In a historic season for Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, it was a loss that provided one of the best moments for the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year.
On July 23, Skenes was nothing short of dominant against the St. Louis Cardinals and made the trip out for the ninth inning for the first time in just the 12th start of his big league career. Even with Skenes allowing one run and suffering the first loss of his big league, the ovation he got from the fans stood out to him in one of the best seasons for a rookie in MLB history and he said it gives him something to look forward to in 2025.
"I know we lost that game, but that’s kinda what it looks like going forward, in terms of the fans, the energy within the dugout and that kinda thing," Skenes said. That’s what winning baseball looks like. [It] gives me something to look forward to next year and beyond.”
The numbers back up the impact Skenes had on the Pirates' attendance in his Rookie of the Year campaign. Pittsburgh averaged 21,239 fans per game, an improvement from 20,131 fans in 2023. In Skenes' 12 starts in 2024, Pittsburgh averaged 25,461 fans per game compared to 20,505 when he didn't get the start at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh had over 27,000 fans in seven of Skenes' first nine starts at PNC Park, averaging 25,944 fans per game. The Pirates had their largest attendance in a Skenes start on July 5 with 37,037 fans at PNC Park for a 14-2 win over the New York Mets.
Skenes also got to see the impact throughout the city for its sports teams when he attended the Pittsburgh Steelers' 18-16 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. With what he saw at Acrisure Stadium and this summer at PNC Park, Skenes has hope the Pirates can garner that type of support in 2025.
"It's been awesome," Skenes said. "I think the coolest part about going to that Steelers game — A win was great, but just seeing the fans and seeing what sports mean to this city. Obviously, we saw it a little bit over the summer, but [it] gives us hope to what we can do next year and have the city unite around us."
