Despite all the hype surrounding his All-Star Game start, Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes delivered by getting through the first inning without allowing a hit.
Paul Skenes retires Aaron Judge and it's a scoreless first inning ???? pic.twitter.com/X4o89E5f6f
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 17, 2024
“I thought he handled everything including the hoopla fantastic,” Mark Madden told me during this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. “I loved the first two at-bats. Because those guys were just looking for a place to hide. The leadoff hitter from Cleveland, Steven Kwan, who is leading the majors in hitting, after two pitches, he looked defeated. He was relieved when he grounded out. Same with the shortstop from Baltimore, Gunnar Henderson. He said he was relieved to just get a tapper back to Skenes. I thought he was dominant in a non-strikeout kind of way.”
When it comes to splashy debuts in Pittsburgh sports, the city has seen a few in recent decades — like Ben Roethlisberger winning his first 14 starts and Sidney Crosby putting up 102 points as a rookie.
But at 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA, Madden says the former No. 1 overall pick out of LSU is already entering that rarefied air.
“In terms of hype? In terms of being a phenom? Better than Ben by a large margin, because Ben didn’t put up numbers. He just put up wins. Slightly better than Sid,” Madden said. “I think the only phenoms in Pittsburgh sports to compare to Skenes in terms of announcing their presence and dominance immediately are Mario (Lemieux), Tony Dorsett’s freshman year at Pitt, and Crosby. And the only guy I’d give a clear-cut edge to is Mario.”
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If you want the comps on Lemieux and Dorsett, Dorsett was the first freshman in 29 years to be named an All-American. He finished with 1,586 yards (second in the nation) and 12 touchdowns on the ground in 11 games. Lemieux posted 43 goals and 100 points in 73 games and won the Calder Trophy.
Personally, I’d still put Roethlisberger, Lemieux and Crosby in front of Skenes right now. But if he somehow wins the Cy Young and gets the Pirates to the playoffs as a rookie, I may change my tune.
While Lemieux and Big Ben played their whole careers in Pittsburgh (and Crosby may as well), Madden insists that Pittsburgh better enjoy Skenes while he’s here because it won’t be for very long. He’s under team control for six years.
Gerrit Cole lasted five years in Pittsburgh before being traded to Houston. He’s now making $36 million per year with the New York Yankees
“Paul Skenes will be the first $50 million a year pitcher. Write it down, you heard it here,” Madden said.
Spotrac lists the Pirates’ total cash payroll at just over $90 million.
Also during the podcast, Madden and I discuss some concerns with the Steelers as training camp is about to start, Crosby’s contractual future, the Pirates’ recent six-game winning streak and their series win over the Phillies.
