While the start of spring training always represents a season of endless possibilities, the Pittsburgh Pirates will begin theirs with an air of certainty because of the presence of one player.
The Pirates know they have a superstar in Paul Skenes, the 6-foot-6 All-Star right-handed pitcher who blew away batters with his triple-digit fastball and befuddled them with his signature “splinker” last summer in running away with National League rookie of the year honors.
Only 22, Skenes brings star power to the franchise in a way they haven’t had since Andrew McCutchen helped them end two decades of losing by leading the Pirates to three consecutive wild-card playoff berths.
While a paltry payroll and limited activity in free agency might have dimmed Pirates fans’ optimism after back-to-back 76-win seasons, as a five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP, McCutchen is uniquely qualified to share his belief that Skenes is the secret to their success.
“There aren’t going to be many Paul Skeneses in the world and, quite frankly, we know the Pirates aren’t going to make a big, big splash (in free agency). That’s just not going to happen, right?” McCutchen said last month at PiratesFest. “We can moan about it, be upset about it or we can work with what we have and have everyone help us the way they know they can help us.
“(If) everyone chips in and does what they need to do and handles their side, we can be a very consistent and good team. That’s what we’re going to have to do. That’s going to be the only way we can win.”
Skenes exceeded expectations in making his major league debut only 10 months after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, going 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and a team-best 170 strikeouts to finish third in NL Cy Young voting. The Pirates won 15 of his 23 starts, with four of the eight losses coming by one run.
As pitchers and catchers report Wednesday, Skenes headlines a starting rotation that includes 2023 All-Star Mitch Keller and 23-year-old Jared Jones. The lineup features a pair of top-10 players at their position in two-time All-Star left fielder Bryan Reynolds and converted shortstop Oneil Cruz in center. The infield has Gold Glove winners in third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and utility player Jared Triolo. And McCutchen is a franchise icon approaching another monumental milestone, as he’s five home runs shy of tying Pirates legend Roberto Clemente for third-most in club history.
That has the Pirates believing they are on the verge of breaking through for their first winning season since 2018.
“We’re ready for it. I think everybody in there had a sour taste from last year,” two-time All-Star closer David Bednar said. “I think there’s some really good, young talent ready to take that next step forward. That rotation is something special. Obviously, Skenes is unbelievable. There’s not much else to say about that guy.”
Well, there’s also this: Aside from being ranked No. 4 in MLB Network’s list of the top 10 starting pitchers right now, Skenes already has become one of the biggest draws in baseball.
The games Skenes started drew a total attendance of 707,817 last season – an average of 30,775 – and included near-sellouts at Dodger Stadium (50,697) and Yankee Stadium (46,069). The Pirates had an average attendance of 21,239 but drew 25,460 on the days Skenes started.
The presence of Skenes also puts pressure on the Pirates to end a streak of six consecutive losing seasons, and general manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton enter the season on the hot seat. Pirates players know that having Skenes gives them a window to become a postseason contender again.
“I think everybody should come into the season expecting to win and expecting to change the narrative and have a different season than we’ve had in the past,” Reynolds said. “So, I think everybody should come in ready to win, expect that and do what it takes to do it.”