Two Pirates Players Crack Top 50 Rookies List After Great Season

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a great young core centered around rookie superstar Paul Skenes.

The Pirates drafted Skenes with the first overall pick in the 2023 draft. The young fireballer went 11-3 with a blistering 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts. Pittsburgh had another rookie pitcher excel as well in Jared Jones.

Skenes and Jones both were named to Bleacher Report’s Top 50 Rookies List after a great rookie campaign, with Jones landing at No. 27 and Skenes being named the No. 1 rookie.

“If he had been on the Opening Day roster, there’s a very real chance he would have joined Fernando Valenzuela as just the second rookie pitcher in MLB history to take home Cy Young honors,” Reuter wrote. “The National League starter in the All-Star Game, he was pulled from a no-hitter not once, but twice, and he did not allow more than six hits or four earned runs in any of his 23 starts.”

“Jones pitched his way into Pittsburgh’s rotation with a terrific spring training and looked like the early NL Rookie of the Year favorite when he posted a 3.05 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 59 innings over his first 10 starts. He made just two total starts in July and August while nursing a lat strain and didn’t have the same electric stuff down the stretch, but he still finished with a 4.14 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 132 strikeouts in 121.2 innings. He is a key piece of a promising young Pirates rotation.”

Pittsburgh has two great pieces for their rotation in Skenes and Jones. The Pirates future looks bright for years to come as these two develop further.

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