Skenes becomes the 6th Opening Day starter for the Bucs in 8 seasons.
To the surprise of no one, Paul Skenes has been named the Opening Day starter. And although this may seem ho-hum to most fans, it’s essential to understand the significance of what Skenes has done in a full calendar year.
As Manager Derek Shelton brought Skenes into his office in Bradenton to deliver him the news, they observed the Spring Breakout game.
“It’s hard to believe, a year ago, that you were pitching in this,” Shelton said.
At that time, there were high expectations for Skenes to come to the big league club soon and perform well immediately. But it’s easier said than done to become touted as the savior of the franchise and one of the faces of baseball at age 22 – less than a year out of LSU and after only 34 dominant innings of work in the Minor Leagues. The fanfare surrounding Skenes and the adjustment to facing Major League hitters created a lot of pressure that few prospects have faced.
But Skenes proved he wasn’t like most prospects—he lived up to the hype and immediately exceeded expectations. Given his extraordinary talent, his dominance on the mound was not incredibly surprising, but his maturity in how he pitched and conducted himself on and off the field was.
He is one of the most even-keeled, humble, and confident players you will ever see. Everyone has emotions, but Skenes doesn’t show them. He has the same demeanor through the highs and the lows, although he hasn’t had many lows in his young career. But when they do come, his mental toughness is built to bounce back from any adversity he may face. This is what will make him an all-time great.
Awards and recognition certainly help, too, as Skenes has already earned more than many would imagine in an entire career. In his first season, he was named the starting pitcher for the National League All-Star team, won the NL Rookie of the Year, was nominated as a Cy Young finalist, and most recently graced the cover of MLB The Show 25.
As for his first Opening Day start, he will face the Miami Marlins on March 27th, which will set up one of the most intriguing pitching matchups of the day, as RHP Sandy Alcantara, a two-time All Star and the 2022 NL Cy Young award winner, will return to the bump after sitting out all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John Surgery.
Alcantara has been dominant in Spring Training, allowing no earned runs across 12 ⅓ innings and recording 10 strikeouts while hitting 100 mph on the radar gun on several occasions.
The Marlins and Pirates’ offenses will have their work cut out for them, and Skenes may need to be at the top of his game if runs are at a premium.