Pittsburgh Pirates ace pitcher Paul Skenes continues to add accolades to his young career.
The Pirates drafted Skenes with the first overall pick in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft, and it didn’t take long for him to make it to the majors. Skenes was called up to the big leagues in May and has electrified the league since. He went 11-3 in 23 starts with a 1.96 ERA and set a Pirates record with 170 strikeouts.
Skenes edged out San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill to win the Jackie Robinson National League Rookie of the Year Award, according to MLB.com’s Manny Randhawa.
“Paul Skenes was rewarded on Monday night for his historic debut season with the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year Award,” Randhawa reported. “The 22-year-old Pirates ace edged out fellow finalists Jackson Merrill (Padres) and Jackson Chourio (Brewers) for the annual honor given by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.”
“The ROY Award is just the latest honor for Skenes, who earlier this year became the first rookie pitcher to start the All-Star Game since 1995 (Hideo Nomo). Skenes is just the second Pirate to claim Rookie of the Year honors, joining outfielder Jason Bay (2004). He’s also just the fifth No. 1 overall pick to win the award, joining Carlos Correa (2015), Bryce Harper (2012), Darryl Strawberry (1983) and Bob Horner (1978).”
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Skenes earned the National League Rookie of the Year Award with his historic season. He became the first pitcher since 1913 to record 170 strikeouts and have a sub-2.00 ERA. Pittsburgh’s future looks bright, with Skenes leading the way.
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Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images