Paul Skenes delivered one of the greatest rookie pitching seasons in MLB history in 2024, establishing himself as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ undisputed ace.
Skenes dominated with a minuscule 1.96 ERA across 23 starts, striking out an incredible 170 batters in just 133 innings (11.5K/9). His command was exceptional, posting a WHIP under 1.000 (0.947) alongside a stellar 214 ERA+ and 2.44 FIP.
The phenom’s historic debut campaign earned him National League Rookie of the Year honors and a third-place finish in NL Cy Young voting. His impact transcended the diamond, as his 2024 Topps Chrome Update Debut Rookie Patch Autograph 1/1 scored a staggering $1.1 million at auction.
Now, the burning question: what will Skenes do for an encore?
MLB analyst predicts another dominant season from Paul Skenes
In an interview with Sportsnaut’s Evan Groat, The Athletic’s Eno Sarris believes Skenes’ dominance has only just begun.
“I have a number called Stuff Plus, which basically looks at all the physical characteristics of a pitcher’s pitches. And we’ve found a way to take that Stuff Plus and improve our pitcher projections. And there are three pitchers whose ERA projection starts with a two next year. Paul Skenes, 2.55 ERA projection. Tarik Skubal, 2.74. Spencer Strider, 2.96. And then everybody else is over three,” noted Sarris. “It’s Paul Skenes’ world and we’re all just living in it.”
What makes Skenes so special is his electric four-seam fastball that consistently hits triple digits, complemented by an elite arsenal including a sinker, curve, sweeper, slider, and changeup.
Pirates fans face a frustrating 2025 as ownership and the front office failed to build around their generational talent, but they’ll still have the privilege of watching Skenes take the mound every fifth day.
