The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the most influential young athletes in the world, superstar pitcher Paul Skenes.
Expectations were high when the Pirates drafted Skenes, and he found a way to exceed them. Despite not making his debut until May 11, Skenes had a historic season in which he was named an All-Star and the National League Rookie of the Year. The young fireballer went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA across 23 starts and struck out 170 batters, a rookie franchise record.
In a ranking that predicted the top 25 athletes for the next 25 years, Pirates superstar ace Skenes was listed as the top MLB player and ninth overall, according to Bleacher Report staff.
“Projecting a young pitcher for stardom is always tricky, even when they have already enjoyed success at the highest level, as there may be no position in professional sports more susceptible to injuries and general inconsistency,” Bleacher Report writes. “However, Paul Skenes looks like a generational talent.”
“If the Pittsburgh Pirates had put him on the Opening Day roster, there’s a very real chance he would have joined Fernando Valenzuela as the only rookie pitchers ever to win Cy Young. The 6’6″, 235-pound right-hander started the All-Star Game, won NL Rookie of the Year honors and checks all the boxes to be a perennial Cy Young contender for the next decade-plus.”
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Skenes was listed ahead of fellow MLB players, including New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Skenes finished in third place for the NL Cy Young Award in his rookie season. If he continues performing this well, Pittsburgh could have the best pitcher in baseball.
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