Pirates' Paul Skenes embraces expectations to improve efficiency for encore to rookie season

BRADENTON, Fla. — Where Paul Skenes came to spring training last year looking to live up to his billing as the No. 1 overall draft pick and make his major-league debut, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander arrived at Pirate City last week as — in his words — “definitely a different character.”

His resume now includes starting for the National League in the All-Star Game, winning Rookie of the Year honors and finishing third in Cy Young voting after recording the lowest ERA by a rookie pitcher who made at least 20 starts in the live ball era.

Now, the 22-year-old aims to establish himself as the anchor of one of the most talented young starting rotations in baseball. He promised to push Mitch Keller, Jared Jones, Bailey Falter and Johan Oviedo, all of whom will be age 29 years or younger on Opening Day.

“Regardless of the anchor or whatever, if we raise the floor on our staff as well as raise the ceiling, that’s the goal, just to get better as we go on,” Skenes said Saturday after throwing 25 pitches in a live batting practice at Pirate City. “That’s the opportunity, I think, regardless of who is the guy. Hopefully, just pushing everybody and making everybody better, because it’s going to result in us winning a lot of games.”

Paul Skenes started 2024 in the minors. Now he comes to camp as an NL All-Star starter, rookie of the year, third in Cy Young voting. Is he ready to be the ace? pic.twitter.com/OHxKT0Yxen

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 15, 2025

After going 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and team-best 170 strikeouts in 133 innings over 23 starts, Skenes will throw this season without the pitch count and innings restraints of last year.

What will Skenes do for an encore?

“For me, it’s pretty simple: Doing exactly what he did the year prior,” Pirates pitching coach Oscar Marin said. “That’s the expectation. His expectation is probably a little bit different than mine, but that’s what makes him great. But, that’s it. It’s to build off of what he did last year to continue finding ways for us to do it again this year.”

Pirates pitching coach Oscar Marin on expectations for and new pitches from Paul Skenes this season. pic.twitter.com/pRkYnX9j5h

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 15, 2025

The Pirates were deliberate in bringing Skenes along slowly last spring, only allowing him to pitch one inning per appearance. Despite dominant performances, it was announced early that he would be assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis to start the season. And the Pirates were methodical about limiting his pitch and innings count, delaying his major-league debut until May 11.

Skenes said this spring is “definitely different.”

“Last year, I was comfortable with the process. At the end of the day, it’s about pitching well,” Skenes said. “As frustrating as it was at the beginning of the season last year, I was happy with how everything went. I understand it. Obviously, hindsight’s 20/20. They did a really good job with me last year.

“I kind of knew, as much as I didn’t want to believe it, that that was how it was going to be when I came into camp last year. It’s just different. It’s about being my best self and pitching at the highest level that I can, regardless of who’s in the box and where I’m at.”

Now, Skenes is eyeing a shot at earning the start on Opening Day on March 27 at Miami. Keller, a 2023 All-Star and the Pirates’ oldest starter, got the nod for the season opener against the Marlins last year.

“Yeah, that would be an honor. It would be really cool,” Skenes said. “I’ve got to pitch well, though.”

More important to Skenes is becoming more efficient. Marin said Skenes compared his numbers to Cy Young Award winners Chris Sale (NL) and Tarik Skubal (AL), especially how their strike percentage fared in early counts. Skenes threw at least 100 pitches in nine of his 23 starts but only went seven innings or longer four times. He emphasized the importance of getting ahead on hitters by winning the first pitch, 0-1 and 1-1 counts.

To do so, Skenes spent the offseason working to add a cutter and running two-seam fastball to a repertoire that features his signature “splinker” splitter-sinker hybrid, a four-seamer, sweeper, slider and changeup in an effort “to create more swing decisions” for batters.

Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes faces Nick Gonzales in live BP at Pirate City. pic.twitter.com/tOyJCz6rtQ

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 15, 2025

Adam Frazier on taking live BP vs. Paul Skenes: “I didn’t have to. I kind of wanted to. … Get in there and see what it’s like. It’s facing one of the premier arms in the game. That’s what you want, not just in practice but in games. He’s going to bring out the best of everyone.” pic.twitter.com/9kbpxAEPhm

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 15, 2025

Facing Skenes for the first time in a live batting practice, Adam Frazier saw the “electric stuff, as everybody knows.”

“That first pitch, he makes a two-seam down and away that no one is going to do anything with,” Frazier said. “If you hit it, you’re hitting it straight in the ground. So it’s like, ‘All right, strap it on and get ready.’ But, hey, I think he’s excited to be out there. He missed a few spots he’s probably mad about right now, but just based on what I hear about the guy and his attention to detail, sounds like he’s a perfectionist.”

That doesn’t mean Skenes is a perfect pitcher. Pirates manager Derek Shelton said the key for Skenes will be to show consistency in being in the strike zone, regardless of what pitch he’s offering.

“The guys that have the elite ability to do that, they have the ability to throw multiple pitches in the zone at any point. And that’s a tough thing to do,” Shelton said. “There’s a very, very small group that has the ability to do that. To say at some point that he may have that ability, I wouldn’t bet against him.”

That doesn’t mean Skenes is going to stop chasing strikeouts. He recorded eight or more strikeouts in 13 starts and had 11 twice, at the Chicago Cubs on May 17 and at Milwaukee on July 11. Skenes’ 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings last season didn’t qualify for the major-league leaderboard but trailed only Garrett Crochet (12.88) among starting pitchers who threw at least 130 innings.

“That’s going to be my identity,” Skenes said. “I’m definitely not going to try to strike out fewer people, but just with my stuff, presence and that kind of thing, I’m going to get my strikeouts. It’s just a matter of limiting the 1-0, 2-0 counts, that kind of thing. That’s more of how I’m thinking about it.”

Where the 6-foot-6, 260-pound Skenes prepared for his first spring training by getting into the best shape of his life in an attempt to make the Opening Day roster, he took a different tact to training this offseason.

Having established himself as a major-league starter, Skenes did a slower ramp. He was throwing 85 mph in December as opposed to 95 at the same time a year earlier. The velocity comes naturally now, Skenes said, so his focus is on sharpening his pitch shapes and command so he can dominate in a different way this season.

Skenes has no shortage of confidence. His response to the MLB Network’s No. 15 ranking among the top 100 players in baseball right now?

“It doesn’t sound quite as good as No. 1, but I’ll take 15.” (MLB Network ranked Skenes the No. 4 starting pitcher.)

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said the club has discussed with Skenes their need for him to embrace the role of being “that guy” — making every start and setting an example with his ability to compete.

“We know he’s going to do that,” Cherington said. “We think about starting pitchers who have been at the top of their profession, who have been huge parts of their teams and have been in postseasons. Of course, they’re performing on the field but there’s also a standard that they’ve set, in terms of how they carry themselves in between starts: expectations, accountability, all those things. Fortunately for us, there’s no concern about any of that stuff with him. He kind of does all of that stuff pretty naturally, and we’re lucky to have him.”