After historic rookie year, Paul Skenes named Pirates' Opening Day starter against Marlins

A year after Paul Skenes shined in the Spring Breakout prospect game, the 22-year-old right-handed pitcher who became baseball’s biggest story last season will make his first Opening Day start for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton informed Skenes he would be on the mound to start the season against the Miami Marlins at 4:10 p.m. March 27 at loanDepot Park. Skenes will face Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, who was named their Opening Day starter March 7, in a matchup of the 2025 NL Cy Young favorite against the 2022 winner.

“It’s an honor,” Skenes told SportsNet Pittsburgh during Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. “To be recognized as the Opening Day starter is a pretty cool experience, so I’m just ready to get after it.”

The moment Paul Skenes found out he was starting on Opening Day. pic.twitter.com/xLJUjPKpgY

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 15, 2025

Skenes went from No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft to making his major-league debut May 11 to starting for the National League in the All-Star Game to being named NL rookie of the year and finishing third in NL Cy Young voting. That made it an easy decision for Shelton.

“Well, he’s really good,” Shelton said, with a laugh, after announcing Skenes as his choice. “No, I think he deserves it, just from what he did last year. He’s performed.”

Shelton informed Skenes of the news following his bullpen Friday while watching Pirates prospects play the Philadelphia Phillies in the Spring Breakout game. A year ago, Skenes shined in the inaugural Spring Breakout by recording two strikeouts in a perfect inning, including one against baseball’s No. 1 prospect, Jackson Holliday.

The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Skenes went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and a team-best 170 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .198 batting average — the lowest ever by a Pirates starting pitcher with at least 16 starts — in 133 innings over 23 starts. It’s the lowest ERA by a rookie pitcher in baseball’s live ball era, and Skenes posted the lowest ERA in MLB after making his debut May 11.

“The Breakout game feels a lot longer than a year ago,” Skenes said. “At the same time, time has flown. The past year has gone by really quick. I think it’s just about staying in the moment, being present, being where you’re feet are, really.”

Per Sarah Langs of MLB, at 22 years and 302 days old March 27, Paul Skenes will be the Pirates’ youngest Opening Day starting pitcher since at least 1900 and the youngest Opening Day starting pitcher in the majors since Jose Fernandez (21 years, 243 days) for the Marlins in 2014.

Skenes said starting the season opener became a goal once he made it to the majors, and it is something he prepared for all offseason. In three Grapefruit League starts this spring, he is 1-0 and has allowed four earned runs on 12 hits and five walks while recording 12 strikeouts.

“It comes down to pitching well,” Skenes said. “I wouldn’t be starting Opening Day if I didn’t pitch well. Now I’ve just got to go out and execute.”

Although Skenes seemed the obvious choice coming off his historic season, Shelton picked him over 28-year-old Mitch Keller, who debuted in 2019 and is the Pirates’ longest-tenured and highest-paid player this season ($15,411,500) after signing a five-year, $77 million contract extension in February 2024.

A 2023 All-Star who has a 36-50 career record in six seasons, Keller went 11-12 with a 4.25 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with 166 strikeouts in 178 innings over 31 starts last season. It marked the second consecutive season he led the Pirates in games started, after setting a franchise record for most strikeouts by a right-hander (210) in 32 starts in 2023.

Keller made his first Opening Day start last year, also against the Marlins, and allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings in the 6-5 win.

Shelton said he specifically had a conversation with Keller about the decision.

“Mitch has done it in the past and has done a really good job,” Shelton said. “It just felt like Paul was the best choice.”