Skenes becomes 2nd Pirate to win NL Rookie of the Year, 498 days after Draft
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Paul Skenes entered the 2024 season with the expectations of being the top pitching prospect of his generation. He will exit 2024 as the top rookie in the National League.
"It's cool," Skenes said over Zoom, "and it's an honor. I think it's just a product of showing up each day and doing the work, and I think the results are going to take care of themselves.”
On Monday, Skenes was named the National League’s Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award winner by the Baseball Writers' Association of America after a historic rookie season. The Pirates pitcher edged out the Padres' Jackson Merrill and the Brewers' Jackson Chourio, with Skenes earning 23 of a potential 30 first-place votes and the other seven going to Merrill.
Skenes is also one of three finalists for the NL Cy Young Award, which will be announced on MLB Network on Wednesday. He is just the second Pirate to win Rookie of the Year, joining Jason Bay, who did so in 2004.
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Skenes went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 133 innings during his rookie season. Spinning triple-digit heat, “splinkers” and a full arsenal of pitches, Skenes quickly took the Majors by storm -- so much so that he started the All-Star Game for the NL.
In his first full season of professional ball, the 2023 first overall pick led all NL pitchers with at least 130 innings pitched in ERA (1.96), strikeout rate (33.1% of batters and 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings), WHIP (0.95) and strikeout rate minus walk rate (26.8%), all while holding hitters to a .198 batting average.
Skenes' 170 strikeouts were also a Pirates rookie record, shattering a mark that Cy Blanton had held for 87 years. Skenes' 1.96 ERA was the lowest of any rookie pitcher who made at least 20 starts in the Live Ball Era (since 1920).
“What stands out the most is that he was one of the best pitchers in baseball in what was ultimately his first full professional season,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “Everything from posting a sub-2.00 ERA to starting the All-Star Game and all the accolades in between -- he is a special pitcher who is just scratching the surface of his full potential. We are as proud as we are excited that he’s a Pittsburgh Pirate.”
Reaching that full potential and living with those sky-high expectations have become common themes for Skenes as he continued to raise the bar throughout his rookie campaign. There were highs -- the All-Star Game was at the top of the list, by his admission -- but his main takeaway was simply learning how to navigate a full Major League season: How to not only compete against the talent at this highest level, but also how to manage himself over the course of a full season.
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Skenes' ability to compartmentalize and manage those otherworldly expectations became apparent strengths throughout the year. It may help that Skenes -- who avoids social media -- didn’t know what the rest of the baseball world was thinking.
“I really didn’t know what the expectations were ... other that what I had for myself and what the organization communicated to me,” Skenes said. “On that end, I think I did a good job. That’s going to be the goal going forward in my career is really just kind of drowning out as much of the noise as I can and sticking to the process and going out and executing.
"Whatever that looks like stats-wise, who knows. I do believe stats are going to take care of themselves when you do things right for a long period of time. That was the focus this year and that’s going to be the focus going forward too.”
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The expectations will be even higher next season. Skenes is aiming to stay on the mound longer, pitching seven or eight innings more often instead of the five or six innings he was held to this year. It will help that he’ll actually be able to start the season in the Majors, rather than the Minors.
“I think it's a cool opportunity for myself and I think it's a cool opportunity for the city of Pittsburgh,” Skenes said on a conference call with BBWAA writers. “A challenge for sure to be able to do that. I think it starts now in the offseason. I can't wait for Spring Training to start already.”
With his prep for next season already underway, how is he going to celebrate his award?
“Going to sleep early and getting back to work tomorrow,” Skenes said.