Pittsburgh Pirates superstar pitcher Paul Skenes has already cemented himself as one of the best pitchers in the league after a historic rookie season.
Skenes earned many honors during his first season in the big leagues, being named an All-Star and starting in the All-Star game. He would later go on to also win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Skenes electrified the league after being called up in May. The young fireballer went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts and set a Pirates rookie record with 170 strikeouts.
In a ranking of the 25 top pitchers for the 2024 season, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter ranked Skenes fourth, trailing only Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal, Atlanta Braves veteran left-hander Chris Sale and Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler.
“If Paul Skenes had broken camp with a spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates starting rotation, he might have joined Fernando Valenzuela as the only other rookie in MLB history to also take home Cy Young honors,” Reuter writes.
“As it stands, he settled for unanimous NL Rookie of the Year, third in Cy Young balloting and an All-Star Game start while taking the league by storm less than a year after he went No. 1 overall in the 2023 draft. The 22-year-old’s future is as bright as any young player in the sport.”
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The Pirates struck gold by drafting Skenes. Skubal and Sale were the Cy Young winners this season, with Wheeler finishing second place behind Sale in the National League. Skenes being held in that same regard at just 22 years old showcases Pittsburgh’s bright future with him leading the way.
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