A year ago at this time, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was still in the minor leagues and would not make his professional debut for several months. Fast forward to today and a lot has changed.
With under two weeks remaining until their regular season opener against the Miami Marlins, the Pirates needed to make a decision: Who will take the mound on Day 1?
On Friday, that question was answered when manager Derek Shelton called Skenes into his office and delivered some major career news.
“It’s been a little bit of a whirlwind,” Shelton said of the past year.
“A little bit,” Skenes replied.
“All right. Well, you get your first opening day start,” Shelton revealed.
Skenes taking on the role of ace may have been the obvious choice but it’s still a remarkable story when considering how quickly it all came together. Not every superstar prospect dominates from the jump and far fewer survive without some major hiccups over their first year or two.
For Skenes, this is a rapid ascent and the culmination of a storybook year.
“Wow,” he said when learning he would start on Opening Day. “Appreciate it. … Let’s start off 1-0.”
As a rookie in 2024, Skenes started 23 games, posting an impressive 11-3 record while striking out 170 over 133.0 innings pitched compared to 32 walks. He had an ERA of just 1.96, a WHIP of 0.95 and a WAR of 5.9.
Skenes’ Opening Day start against the Marlins will come on Thursday, March 27 at 4:10 p.m. EDT at LoanDepot Park.
