Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was officially named NL Rookie of the Year on Monday, but you probably would not have known it from his reaction.
The announcement was covered live on MLB Network with Skenes appearing remotely alongside girlfriend Livvy Dunne. When Cal Ripken Jr. announced Skenes as the winner, the Pirates ace barely even reacted at first before finally giving in to a modest smirk.
The moment Paul Skenes won the 2024 NL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award! 👏 pic.twitter.com/XzldDCuKeT
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 18, 2024
Dunne was way more excited than Skenes was. It was a fairly comfortable victory for him, and he certainly took it in stride. It’s probably the reaction one would expect from someone who was challenging hitters so confidently after just one Major League start.
Skenes posted a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts with 170 strikeouts in 133 innings. He beat San Diego’s Jackson Merrill fairly comfortably for Rookie of the Year honors, collecting 23 of 30 first-place votes.
