Pirates Ace Paul Skenes Says Being Cy Young Finalist Was An Honor

Paul Skenes has high hopes for himself and the Pittsburgh Pirates after a great rookie season.

The 22-year-old hurler was the talk of baseball for much of the 2024 season, headlined by his MLB All-Star Game start and eventual National League Rookie of the Year victory.

Skenes finished with an 11-3 record, 170 strikeouts, and a 1.96 ERA. It gave him the Rookie of the Year, and even made him a finalist for the NL Cy Young award — which he finished in third behind Philadelphia Phillies starter Zack Wheeler and winner Atlanta Braves starter Chris Sale.

In a Q&A with MLB.com, Skenes discussed the chance to be a finalist for the Cy Young, stating that it was an even bigger honor than winning the NL Rookie of the Year award.

“Truthfully, I think being a finalist for the Cy Young Award is a little more meaningful than Rookie of the Year — because it’s all the pitchers in the league,” Skenes said, as transcribed by MLB.com’s Jim Lachimia. “It’s a tremendous honor to be up there with Sale and Wheeler. Obviously, they compete at a very high level and get a ton of strikeouts. But I think the biggest thing is their consistency every single outing. That’s something I strive for, and something they’re very good at.”

Skenes is ready to push himself forward next season, and that’s what Pirates fans should be most excited for.

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