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Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who ranked 15th in MLB Now's Top 100 Right Now after his rookie season, opened up about what it meant to him as a player.
The 22-year-old recorded one of the best seasons by a rookie in baseball history despite being promoted in the middle of the year. Having finished at No. 15 in the aforementioned list, Skenes shared his take on his achievement on MLB Tonigh:
"It doesn't sound quite as good as No. 1, but I'll take 15. No, 15 is cool, that's the number I wore in high school."
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Paul Skenes, entering the 2023 MLB Draft as one of the most exciting prospects in the country, was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates as the overall first pick.
He spent less than a year in the minors, where he dominated in almost every outing. Skenes was promoted to the majors in May last year and finished the season with a 11-3 record, posting a 1.96 ERA with 170 strikeouts.
His impressive rookie season saw him win the NL Rookie of the Year award, while also making the All-Star team and finishing third in the Cy Young voting.
Marlins broadcaster believes Pirates' Paul Skenes is the best pitcher in baseball
Paul Skenes has taken the MLB by storm in his first major league season with the Pittsburgh Pirates and looks destined for greatness.
Speaking about Skenes' performances in the majors, Miami Marlins broadcaster Jack McMullen said that he's the best pitcher in baseball right now (via Just Baseball):
"Skenes, I had him at number one. His first year pitching full-time, he set the SEC strikeout record and went number one overall. ... He might just be scratching the surface of who he is as a pitcher."
Since Skenes debuted in the MLB, he's the only major league pitcher to record a ERA below 2.00. Moreover, he's also credited with developing with a slider-sinker hybrid pitch, which has been named the "splinker".
Skenes is no doubt the most exciting young pitcher in the country right now, and the only thing that remains to be seen is if he can build on his performances in 2025.
