The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced that pitcher Paul Skenes, last year’s rookie sensation, will be their Opening Day starter. Once again, the Pirates open the 2025 season in Miami against the Marlins.
The moment Paul Skenes found out he was starting on Opening Day. pic.twitter.com/xLJUjPKpgY
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 15, 2025
Skenes Named Pirates Opening Day Starter
That Skenes would be accorded this honor should surprise nobody. Although the right-hander was a finalist for the National League Cy Young Award and fell short in 2024, one can still argue that he was the best pitcher in baseball. He won the NL Rookie of the Year Award when he went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and 0.947 WHIP while striking out 170 batters in 133 innings. His record should have been far better. He had five no-decisions where he pitched at least six innings and gave up one earned run or less. It was a whirlwind year that saw Skenes start for the Pirates in the Spring Breakout Game. Four months later, he was starting for the NL in the All-Star Game.
Skenes, the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick, relied mainly on a four-seam fastball that averaged 98.8 mph and often topped out at 100, placing him in the 100th percentile among starting pitchers in terms of velocity. His repertoire also included a sinker, slider, curveball, and the occasional changeup and sweeper.
Opposing hitters in 2025 will notice something different about Skenes, and it won’t be just the new beard he’s rocking. He’s added a two-seam fastball and a cutter to his toolbox. As if he needs them! So far in the exhibition games, he’s given up four runs, 12 hits, and five walks in 10 innings. But he’s also struck out 12. Despite the uncharacteristic spring numbers, nobody expects that a sophomore jinx is in his future.
When Skenes got the news about his Opening Day start, he reacted in typical low-key fashion. He could join former Pirate Colin Moran as a member of the Pirates All-Time Blasé Team.
Main Photo Credits: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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