With a superstar in pitcher Paul Skenes, the Pirates start spring training 'ready to win'

While the start of spring training represents a season of endless possibilities, the Pittsburgh Pirates begins theirs on Wednesday with an air of certainty because of one player: Paul Skenes.

The Pirates know they have a superstar in Skenes, the 6-foot-6 All-Star right-handed pitcher who blew away batters with his triple-digit fastball and befuddled them with his signature “splinker” pitch last summer in running away with National League Rookie of the Year honors.

Only 22, Skenes brings star power to the franchise in a way it hasn’t had since Andrew McCutchen helped the Pirates end two decades of losing by leading them to three consecutive wild-card playoff berths.

A paltry payroll and limited activity in free agency might have dimmed some Pirates fans’ optimism after back-to-back 76-win seasons, but McCutchen, as a five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP, is uniquely qualified to assert his belief that Skenes is the secret to their success.

“There aren’t going to be many Paul Skeneses in the world, and, quite frankly, we know the Pirates aren’t going to make a big, big splash (in free agency). That’s just not going to happen, right?” McCutchen said last month at PiratesFest. “We can moan about it, be upset about it, or we can work with what we have and have everyone help us the way they know they can help us.

“(If) everyone chips in and does what they need to do and handles their side, we can be a very consistent and good team. That’s what we’re going to have to do. That’s going to be the only way we can win.”

Skenes exceeded expectations in becoming a national phenomenon. He made his major league debut only 10 months after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft. He went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and tallied a team-best 170 strikeouts. He finished third in NL Cy Young voting. The Pirates won 15 of the 23 games he started, with four of the eight losses coming by one run.

More Pirates

• Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Health of Ke’Bryan Hayes tops Pirates’ spring training storylines
• Dave Parker's Hall of Fame plaque will depict the 1978 NL MVP wearing a Pirates cap
• Analysis: With Ben Cherington, Derek Shelton on hot seat, Pirates must find ways to win

As pitchers and catchers report Wednesday to Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., Skenes headlines a starting rotation that includes 2023 All-Star Mitch Keller and 23-year-old Jared Jones. The lineup features a pair of top-10 players at their position in two-time All-Star left fielder Bryan Reynolds and converted shortstop Oneil Cruz in center field. The infield has Gold Glove winners in third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and utility player Jared Triolo. And McCutchen is a franchise icon approaching another monumental milestone: He is five home runs shy of tying Pirates legend Roberto Clemente for third-most in club history.

That has the Pirates believing they are on the verge of breaking through for their first winning season since 2018.

“We’re ready for it. I think everybody in there had a sour taste from last year,” two-time All-Star closer David Bednar said. “I think there’s some really good, young talent ready to take that next step forward. That rotation is something special. Obviously, Skenes is unbelievable. There’s not much else to say about that guy.”

Actually, there is. Aside from being ranked No. 4 in MLB Network’s list of the top 10 starting pitchers right now, Skenes already has become one of the biggest draws in baseball.

The games Skenes started drew a total attendance of about 707,800 last season — an average of 30,775 — and included near-sellouts at Dodger Stadium (50,697) and Yankee Stadium (46,069). The Pirates had an average attendance of about 21,239 but drew 25,460 on the days Skenes started.

The presence of Skenes puts pressure on the Pirates to end a streak of six consecutive losing seasons. General manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton enter the season in the hot seat. Pirates players know having Skenes gives them a window to become a postseason contender.

“I think everybody should come into the season expecting to win and expecting to change the narrative and have a different season than we’ve had in the past,” Reynolds said. “So I think everybody should come in ready to win, expect that and do what it takes to do it.”