The Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t made the playoffs since 2015 and finished with their sixth straight losing season in 2024 with a record of 76-86.
Although recent history hasn’t been kind to the organization, they finally have hope for the future as rookie starting pitcher Paul Skenes made his debut in 2024.
Skenes took the league by storm and ended up winning NL Rookie of the Year and finishing in the top three in the NL Cy Young Award voting.
Pirates second basemen Nick Gonzales recently revealed his honest thoughts on Skenes following his rookie season.
“He’s a workhorse, he does what he needs to do every single day,” Gonzales said, via MLB Network Radio on SirisuXM.
“Sometimes [opponents] just can’t hit the ball.”
The Pirates switched to the NL Central from the NL East in 1994, and they have never won a division title since the realignment.
Skenes gives the Pirates their best shot in a long time of doing so and also breaking the streak of nine straight seasons missing the postseason.
In his rookie campaign, Skenes started 23 games and posted a record of 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 133.0 innings pitched.
He was so impressive from the get-go that he was chosen to start the All-Star Game for the National League.
Skenes is only 22 years old, and Gonzales mentions how he has a veteran mentality with his preparation and demeanor on the mound.
The Pirates will look to make some moves this offseason to build around Skenes in hopes of contending for their sixth World Series title in franchise history.
NEXT:
Paul Skenes Joins Exclusive Club With Rookie Of The Year Award
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Author : BaseBall Info
Publish date : 2024-11-27 00:36:27
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