The Pittsburgh Pirates are falling out of playoff contention but that doesn’t mean that fans won’t be able to see young ace Paul Skenes down the stretch.
There has been some speculation lately that the Pirates could end up shutting Skenes down. He is just a rookie and isn’t far removed from college and is nearing a career-high in innings pitched at any level already. He has pitched 104 innings at the big league level this season. Skenes also pitched 27 1/3 in the minors before being called up.
Some have wondered if the Pirates would attempt to protect his arm by shutting him down with the playoffs out of sight but USA Today Sports’ Bob Nightengale said that isn’t the plan right now.
“The Pittsburgh Pirates insist they have no plans to shut down rookie sensation Paul Skenes, who’s battling Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill for the (National League) Rookie of the Year award,” Nightengale said.
Skenes has a chance to win the National League Rookie of the Year award because he has been everything the Pirates could’ve hoped for. He has made 17 starts this season and has a 2.16 ERA and started the All-Star Game. He is electric and if he can stay healthy will be a star in the Pirates’ organization for years to come.
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Pittsburgh won’t be back in the playoffs this season unless something drastic happens down the stretch, but there still is a lot to like about this time. The Pirates are full of exciting, young talent and Skenes is a star already. Pittsburgh fans still will get a chance to watch him down the stretch.
More MLB: Pirates Manager Addresses Paul Skenes Workload Concerns
Featured image via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports