Paul Skenes will end his rookie campaign on a high note, even if he didn’t walk away with the hardware for himself and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The 22-year-old hurler did everything a rookie could hope to do in their debut season. One year after being drafted first overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Skenes dazzled on the mound for the Pirates seemingly every time he took the ball. Through 23 starts, the righty went 11-3 for Pittsburgh with a minuscule 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts. Had he pitched from Opening Day, there’s a good chance he may have been in the conversation for the pitching triple crown in the National League.
Even though his major league career didn’t start until May, Skenes still finished as a finalist for the NL Cy Young alongside Atlanta Braves starter Chris Sale and Philadelphia Phillies starter Zack Wheeler.
On Wednesday, it was announced that Sale won the NL Cy Young Award for 2024, while Skenes finished in third place. The Pirates starter received one second-place vote from a voter while having the most third-place votes with 13.
If that’s what Pirates fans can expect from their ace moving forward, then the rotation will be just fine. Skenes did take home the NL Rookie of the Year, however, so he’s not ending his season without a big trophy win.
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More MLB: Pirates Superstar Pitcher Paul Skenes Reflects On Rookie Season
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