Pittsburgh Pirates Starting Pitcher Paul Skenes was named All-MLB First Team last night to cap off what was a historic rookie campaign. The accolade was announced last night at a ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada. His great season included being named the National League starting pitcher in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, a Rookie of the Year finalist, and a finalist for the National League Cy Young Award. Skenes was 11-3 this season with a 1.96 ERA.
He joined Chris Sale, Tarik Skubal, Zack Wheeler, and Corbin Burnes as the other starting pitchers on the first team. Skenes is in great company as three of the other four starting pitchers(Sale, Skubal, and Wheeler) were Cy Young finalists. Will the rookie be able to build on his great rookie season in 2025 and beyond?
Paul Skenes Career Summary
✅ All-Star Game Starter
✅ NL Rookie of the Year Finalist
✅ NL Cy Young Finalist
✅ All-MLB First TeamWhat a rookie season from Paul Skenes! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/vvMpQgPta6
— MLB (@MLB) November 15, 2024
Skenes was one of the league’s most discussed players entering the 2024 season. He was Major League Baseball’s top pitching prospect and the No. 3 prospect in the league to begin the year. Before he made his debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates he catapulted to the top prospect in the league. Skenes made his MLB debut on May 11 at home against the Chicago Cubs. He had seven strikeouts over four innings of work and surrendered three earned runs. Following an average debut, he would find his footing and proceed to baffle hitters for months.
One start that stood out for the rookie this season was when he tossed seven no-hit innings on July 11 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Skenes was unable to qualify in many pitching categories due to him being in the minors for the first six weeks of the regular season. He would have been the only pitcher during the regular season with a sub-2 ERA and finish third in WHIP if he had enough innings to qualify. Skenes did finish fifth in WAR though and 33rd in strikeouts over a limited workload during the regular season.
Pittsburgh Pirates Season Summary
Baseball, unlike many other team sports, needs an entire team to play well for success to be achieved. Even with a spectacular 23 starts from Skenes, Pittsburgh did not experience great success on the diamond. They finished in last place in the National League Central with a record of 76-86. This was the ninth straight season where the Pirates have failed to qualify for the MLB Playoffs. The Pirates pitching staff, led by Skenes, was mediocre during the regular season. They were 20th in ERA, 18th in strikeouts, 24th in opposing batting average, and 23rd in WHIP.
Final Thoughts
Skenes is not projected to take home the 2024 National League Cy Young Award, but his season was still commendable. He was a ballyhooed prospect coming into Major League Baseball and lived up to it during his rookie campaign. Skenes is projected to lose to Sale in the National League Cy Young race. Even though the rookie phenom will not win the Cy Young, he is poised to add another accomplishment to his trophy case next week.
He is a finalist for the National League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award alongside San Diego Padres Center Fielder Jackson Merrill and Milwaukee Brewers Left Fielder Jackson Chourio. Skenes is the prohibitive favorite to win. Skenes will look to build on his great rookie season and anchor the Pittsburgh Pirates rotation for years to come. The Pirates have many holes on their roster to fill this offseason, but they will be able to pencil in their No. 1 starter for Opening Day 2025 on the road against the Miami Marlins.
