One Yankees fan stirred up drama for Pirates fans on social media with a pinstripe jersey of a Bucs star.
Opening Day is a time-honored tradition in Pittsburgh dating back nearly 150 years. A time to look ahead to a 162-game schedule and 81 home games at the best ballpark in America.
As I prepared for the Pittsburgh Pirates home opener, I visited some friends from Definitely You, a Pittsburgh sports apparel company, in the North Shore’s tailgating lots.
What I found at a neighboring tailgate was the complete opposite of anything I’d expect to see that Friday afternoon and definitely not something anyone could ask for in stores.
About three hours before first pitch, I noticed a Yankees fan wearing a classic pinstripe jersey with a name and number on the back, a red flag because the Yankees don’t put names on the back of their jerseys. I realized it was for a larger purpose. The jersey was… a Paul Skenes Yankees jersey. Gross.
This makes me sick. pic.twitter.com/EPAPcqVZHZ
— Austin Bechtold (@AustinRBechtold) April 4, 2025
It made me sick.
The fan was proud of the jersey, and multiple people wanted pictures of it before the game. One source confirmed to me that the man is a diehard Yankees fan and lives in South Fayette.
The post has been viewed by over 675 thousand people on social media and was reposted by Jomboy Media, Talkin’ Yanks, and Foul Territory.
Skenes makes his third start of the season for the Pirates on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park. Skenes, 22, owns a 1.46 ERA in two starts spanning 12.1 innings with a 0.649 WHIP and 13 strikeouts.
For Paul Skenes, brilliance on the mound starts long before the first pitch.
@PNCBank pic.twitter.com/Yrs1cP5ua3
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 8, 2025
Skenes is arguably the best pitcher in baseball and the apple to Pirates fans’ eyes every time he takes the field. He is the first pitcher since ERA became an official stat in 1912 to record an ERA below 2.00 and strike out 175+ batters in his first 25 MLB games.
Paul Skenes is the first pitcher since earned runs became an official statistic to post a sub-2.00 ERA with 175+ strikeouts over their first 25 MLB appearances. pic.twitter.com/mYn7LnJrnO
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 3, 2025
The Pirates have control of Skenes through 2029 before he becomes a free agent. Yankees fans are already dreaming of a potential Skenes acquisition, while Pirates fans savor the moments they have with him.
It’s the harsh reality of baseball economics without a salary cap and salary floor. The current CBA is up in 2026. The Pirates need to maximize their current window as much as possible to be able to win with a generational pitcher that former Pirates pitcher and current analyst Michael McKenry called the greatest pitcher he’s ever seen in his lifetime.