Paul Skenes breaks record, already among Pirates’ best pitchers

There’s by no means a assure any rookie will stay up the hype. However not solely has Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes lived as much as the immense hype that preceded his MLB debut, he is exceeding it. And the proof of that’s in his newest report. 

On Thursday, Skenes threw certainly one of his finest performances of the season. The 22-year-old All-Star tossed a seven-inning no-hitter whereas hanging out 11 batters. Clearly, recording a no-hitter, even when not by way of an official full sport, is the very first thing that jumps out. Nevertheless, solely permitting one baserunner through one stroll is one way or the other not the first headline from Skenes’ closing begin earlier than his first of what ought to be many All-Star Video games. 

Skenes main the Pirates to a 1-0 highway victory over the Brewers will go down as a historic day for a franchise with a protracted historical past that dates again to 1882. He has now recorded seven or extra strikeouts in eight consecutive begins, setting a brand new franchise report. 

So Skenes, who just lately achieved the brand new commonplace for essentially the most strikeouts inside a rookie pitcher’s first 10 begins, now owns a report that goes properly past the best rookie seasons. 

To place this newest Skenes report into perspective, the Pirates franchise has been dwelling to some sensational pitchers all through its historical past. Names like Jack Chesbro, who nonetheless stays the final MLB pitcher to win 40 video games in a season, former Cy Youthful winner Vern Regulation, Dock Ellis, who captained the Pirates’ 1971 World Sequence profitable workers and threw one of the well-known no-hitters ever, Bob Buddy and extra just lately Gerrit Cole loved success whereas representing the Pirates. 

However once more, it is Skenes who has been essentially the most dominant from a strikeout perspective in eight straight begins. The truth that Skenes’ title is being introduced amongst legends of the previous solely 11 appearances into his profession exhibits the sky is really the restrict for MLB’s 2023 No. 1 total choose. 

Skenes’ 2024 totals inform the story of his dominance. In 66.1 innings pitched, Skenes is now 6-0 with 89 strikeouts and a 1.90 ERA. He has solely given up 48 hits, 13 walks and 7 dwelling runs. 

Solely time will inform the place Skenes will rank among the many Pirates’ finest pitchers all-time, however he is making a case that he belongs as a rookie and he is already within the franchise’s report e-book it doesn’t matter what. 

It is secure to say Skenes has offered Pirates followers with one thing they’ve been trying to find: hope for the longer term and a perception the glory the franchise can ultimately expertise a return to glory.