All-Star pitcher opens up on Paul Skenes' traits that 'set him apart' in MLB

Pittsburgh Pirates young sensation Paul Skenes had an impressive rookie season in the MLB. The 2023 first-overall pick is seemingly a complete pitcher with different pitch types in his arsenal to keep hitters guessing.

Skenes won the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year after posting an 11-3 record with a 1.96 ERA. Many analysts are bullish on his prospects of doing well in 2025 as well, including former All-Star pitcher Kyle Gibson.

The former Minnesota Twins pitcher joined his former teammate Trevor Plouffe on the "Talkin' Baseball" podcast on Wednesday. The two commented on what sets Skenes apart from other pitchers.

"I mean, one thing that sets him apart from most guys is that not only does he have pitches that move differently than a lot of people, but he also has the ability to throw them to both sides of the plate," Gibson said (45:46 onwards).

"This is what I’ve heard from hitters—he’s throwing all of his pitches to both sides of the plate, setting hitters up at elite velocity. There just aren’t many guys who do that."

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Kyle Gibson on why more pitch types are key following Paul Skenes' two pitch additions

Paul Skenes said he was practicing two new pitches in spring training, a cutter and a two-seam fastball, to add to his pitching variety. In 2024, Skenes' pitching arsenal included four-seam fastballs, "splinkers" and sliders to work his way through hitters.

Kyle Gibson shared his thoughts on why it's important to have more pitch offerings during the same podcast episode.

"I think having more offerings is important for a starting pitcher, and for me especially, because I’m in the 90-93 mph range," Gibson said (46:39 onwards). "I need extra pitches to keep hitters guessing. When they step up to the plate, they have to wonder: ‘Okay, maybe he doesn’t have all six pitches working today, but he’s got four, and he’s throwing them all to both sides of the plate. What am I going to look for this time?’"

Skenes has an overpowering fastball coupled with his unique splinker as he looks forward to building on an impressive season with the Pirates in 2025.