Paul Skenes stifles Miami, storms ahead in ROY race

Fan is short for fanatic, and my mustache has never looked stronger since Skenes showed up.

Just when Pirates’ fans think they’ve seen it all from Paul Skenes, he delights us with yet another string of highlights. In his 20th start of his rookie season, Skenes broke the single-season strikeout record for a Pirates’ rookie pitcher, one that has stood since 1900. With his tenth win secured on the season, he has put himself firmly within reach of the National League Rookie of the Year award.

In what has been an unprecedented year for the rookie phenom, there have been plenty of highlights, as well as plenty of fanfare to go along with his mostly stellar performances. Skenes emerged as the best pitcher in College Baseball, following his transfer to LSU. While there he won a College-World-Series, wowed fans with his splinker, and of course torched the internet alongside girlfriend and LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne.

The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Skenes with the first overall pick in 2023, and it took less than a calendar year to see the 22-year old hurler be promoted to the Major Leagues. Along the way he has re-written records for rookie pitchers, and has captured the attention of so many fans within the sport and throughout pop culture. His incredible arm strength and presence on the mound draw comparisons to that of Hall-of-Fame throwbacks like Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson.

His latest performance against the Miami Marlins saw him pick up his tenth win of the season, while throwing nine strikeouts, and lowering his ERA to 2.10. I don’t wanna speak in hyperbole, because I certainly am biased, but at this point in the season it feels like the NL ROY award is his to lose.

“I think that’s the goal of every starting pitcher, right? Just to put the team in the best position possible to win,” Skenes said. “That’s what I’m trying to do every outing. Definitely good to be able to actually be doing that.

One thing that I will say is holding him back is the fact that he started the season with triple-a Indianapolis, and didn’t make his MLB debut until May 11. The missed time at the start of the season in comparison to the rest of the competition does factor into how he stacks up. Most outlets prior to Pittsburgh’s win over Miami, had Jackson Merrill of the San Diego Padres leading the race. Merrill started his season in the bigs, and has put together an incredible year himself, hitting .290 with 23 homers.

Though he lost out on some time at the beginning of the season, Skenes through 20 starts still has a 10-2 record with a .210 ERA and a whopping 151 strikeouts. He also notably was the starting pitcher for the NL All-Star team His latest performance in my opinion should put him back in front of the competition as he continues to re-write record books. His position in popular culture also has brought plenty of fans to the sport of baseball, and has reignited Pirate fever in Pittsburgh with record crowds any time he’s on the mound.

“I think that just goes to the quality of how his stuff is,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “This kid’s got elite stuff, and he’s going to strike out a lot of people throughout his career.”

Though the Pirates have closely monitored Skenes’ output through his rookie year, he has dominated in nearly every outing. Easing him into his role as the Pirates’ ace has had its ups and downs, but anyone with eyes and ears can agree it has been can’t miss baseball. With the season winding down and just a couple of starts left, the race for ROY is far from over, but after tonight Skenes is firmly in the driver’s seat.