The Pittsburgh Pirates struck gold when they selected Paul Skenes with the first overall pick in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft.
Skenes took the league by storm when he was called to the majors in May. He went 11-3 in 23 starts with a blistering 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts, a Pirates rookie record. His historic rookie season included starting the All-Star Game and winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Pittsburgh has other pitching prospects set to reach the majors soon.
Skenes believes another Pirates player could win the National League Rookie of the Year Award next season, singling out pitching prospect Bubba Chandler, as transcribed by Sports Illustrated’s Nathaniel Marrero.
“I think that’s a very good possibility,” Skenes said. “I don’t know exactly who it is. Obviously, Bubba (Chandler) is probably the one that’s on deck. But Braxton (Ashcraft) and Thomas (Harrington), Hunter Barco, all those guys, and I know I’m leaving some guys out too, but we have a lot of talent that’s coming up through the system.”
“We’ve already gotten around each other this offseason. We’re starting to build a foundation for next year, with the young guys that are coming up. So, just looking forward to that, watching them and hopefully being a part of their journey.”
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Pittsburgh has three top 100 pitching prospects: Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, and Thomas Harrington. All of them should reach the majors soon. Chandler has the best chance of winning the rookie award, going 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA in seven Triple-A starts. If the Pirates pitching prospects live up to expectations, the team could have a top-tier pitching group for years.
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