Player News

• Pirates' Paul Skenes: Short outing to wrap up season

  09/28/2024 • By RotoWire

  Skenes fanned three over two perfect innings during Saturday's 9-4 win over the Yankees. The 22-year-old phenom was limited to 23 pitches (17 strikes) in his final start of the season, but Skenes was still dominant. He's built his NL Rookie of the Year case with an 11-3 record, 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 170:32 K:BB through 133 innings, making his big-league debut May 11. Despite his youth and limited track record, Skenes' elite upside makes it likely he'll be one of the first pitchers off the board in 2025 fantasy drafts.

  SEE FULL ARTICLE

• Pirates' Paul Skenes: Fans nine in victory

  09/23/2024 • By RotoWire

  Skenes (11-3) pitched five shutout innings to pick up the win Sunday against Cincinnati, allowing two hits and zero walks while striking out nine. Skenes was flawless outside of a pair of singles, racking up 25 called-plus-swinging strikes en route to nine strikeouts. Skenes threw a season-low 73 pitches Sunday after throwing 98 or more in each of his previous three starts. The 22-year-old is tentatively scheduled to start next weekend against the Yankees, but the Pirates are sure to be very cautious with their prized rookie in his final start of a lost season. If this is it, Skenes would finish a historic rookie season with a sparkling 1.99 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 167:32 K:BB in 131 innings (22 starts).

  SEE FULL ARTICLE

• Pirates' Paul Skenes: Tagged with tough-luck loss

  09/17/2024 • By RotoWire

  Skenes (10-3) took the loss Monday against the Cardinals, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out seven over six innings. The Pirates failed to give Skenes any run support Monday, which spoiled an otherwise strong start by the rookie. Skenes continues to impress, as he now has 15 quality starts in his first 21 appearances. The 22-year-old has been fantastic as of late, allowing just four earned runs in his previous five starts combined. Skenes' ERA sits at a minuscule 2.07 with a 0.98 WHIP and 158 strikeouts through 126 innings.

  SEE FULL ARTICLE

• Pirates' Paul Skenes: Throws season-low 82 pitches

  08/28/2024 • By RotoWire

  Skenes did not factor into the decision in Wednesday's loss to the Cubs, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out six in five innings. After some shakiness early, Skenes retired seven straight batters to keep the Cubs off the scoreboard in his final three innings. Skenes departed with a 10-3 lead, but the Pirates' bullpen fell apart in the 14-10 loss, keeping Skenes' record at 8-2. The 22-year-old rookie has slowed down ever so slightly in August, allowing multiple earned runs in four of five starts this month, pitching to a 3.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 33:10 K:BB in 28.1 innings. Of greater concern is Skenes' pitch count -- he threw a season-low 82 pitches Wednesday after throwing 87 his last time out. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington stated last week that Skenes is on an unspecified innings limit, making Skenes' workload difficult to project over the final month of the season.

  SEE FULL ARTICLE

• Pirates' Paul Skenes: Under unspecified innings limit

  08/26/2024 • By RotoWire

  General manager Ben Cherington acknowledged Sunday that there is a range of innings that the Pirates don't want Skenes to surpass this season, which could lead to the right-hander's starts becoming more abbreviated over the final month of the campaign, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports. Cherington didn't offer up a firm number in terms of a potential innings limit for Skenes, but a workload-management plan already looks to be in place for the phenom rookie. As Stumpf notes, Skenes was lifted after six scoreless innings in his most recent outing Thursday against the Reds, despite having thrown just 87 pitches while exhibiting no signs of wearing down. The 87 pitches were Skenes' fewest in a start since his MLB debut back on May 11, and a workload around that level could become the norm for the 22-year-old down the stretch if the Pirates choose not to shut him down. Across his 17 starts in the majors, his seven starts at Triple-A Indianapolis and his two Grapefruit League appearances, Skenes has thrown 134.1 innings in 2024. He covered 129.1 innings in 2023 between his college season at LSU and his brief time in the minors upon getting selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft.

  SEE FULL ARTICLE