The Pirates selected pitcher Paul Skenes with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, and he took Major League Baseball by storm in 2024.

The former LSU star made his MLB debut on May 11 against the Cubs at PNC Park and wound up going 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts. He was the starting pitcher for the National League at the All-Star Game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. After his stellar first season, Skenes was voted NL Rookie of the Year and was one of three finalists for the NL Cy Young Award.

In the following Q&A, he shares his thoughts about his first season in the big leagues and the notoriety that he receives while looking ahead to the 2025 season.

Having had time to reflect on the honor, what does it mean to you to be voted National League Rookie of the Year?

Skenes: It’s cool to have that experience and the hardware that comes with it. Masyn Winn of the Cardinals was one of the best defensive shortstops in the league and he’s a tough out -- and he wasn’t even a finalist. That’s how good the rookie class was. The game is so young, and I’m very new to it. I’m part of that young group, and I need to continue to work toward getting an edge.

What about being a finalist for the National League Cy Young Award along with Chris Sale of the Braves and Zack Wheeler of the Phillies, who both have much more Major League experience than you?

Skenes: Truthfully, I think being a finalist for the Cy Young Award is a little more meaningful than Rookie of the Year -- because it’s all the pitchers in the league. It’s a tremendous honor to be up there with Sale and Wheeler. Obviously, they compete at a very high level and get a ton of strikeouts. But I think the biggest thing is their consistency every single outing. That’s something I strive for, and something they’re very good at.

How are you able to stay level-headed with all the things you’ve accomplished and all the honors you’ve received? It often seems like you’re the person least impressed by all of that.

Skenes: That’s how I’ve always been. Everything stems from the game and circles back to playing the game. That’s the only thing that matters. Because if you don’t execute and you don’t compete, then all that other stuff goes away. I appreciate them, but the awards are not why I play the game.

How has your offseason been so far? Are you doing a good job of relaxing and doing things you’re unable to do during the baseball season, but also preparing for 2025?

Skenes: I took three weeks off at the beginning of the offseason. Took a mini vacation to Florida for a few days. It’s just tough because my girlfriend [LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne] is in school and I’m trying to spend as much time with her as possible. A two-week trip to Italy or something like that? That’s not happening this offseason. People say, ‘Hey, do you want to do something?’ And I’m like, ‘We can do something, but we’ve got about 12 hours because I need to get back and lift in the morning.’ The biggest thing is getting my training in.

As a champion gymnast and someone with a massive following on social media, your girlfriend Livvy Dunne is certainly a star in her own arena. Do the two of you help each other navigate all the attention you receive?

Skenes: Yeah, I think so. She got to that point in her life a little bit earlier than I did. So, with the Draft and all of that, she was able to help me with those experiences. And I think I’m able to help her. We’re definitely able to share some of those experiences and help each other out.

The Pirates were in the race for a playoff berth last season until experiencing a rough month of August. Do you and your teammates believe you can collectively achieve better results in 2025 and make a serious run at postseason play?

Skenes: Yeah, the last couple months of the season -- especially that stretch in August -- left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. We were in it up until then and then had a bunch of things not go our way. My hope is, we got that out of our system and we’re going to have more self-awareness in terms of how we’re going to be able to win moving forward. I know the talent here is going to get better. We just need to have an identity and some good camaraderie. From there, I’m not going to say nobody is going to stop us, but I like our chances because there are simple and straightforward ways for us to win a lot more games without any huge, sweeping changes. I know I can’t wait for Spring Training to start.

Can you talk about how you’ve been embraced by the Pirates since they selected you No. 1 overall in the 2023 Draft?

Skenes: Obviously, being drafted No. 1 overall was a huge honor, and since then I’ve had a fair amount of visibility and conversations with [chairman] Bob Nutting, [general manager] Ben Cherington and other team officials. And they listen. I was the No. 1 pick, who cares? Whatever. I was still a rookie last year, but they were listening. And they’re listening to guys like Mitch Keller, Bryan Reynolds and Ke’Bryan Hayes too. They’re receptive. They listen to what we think we need to do to win. Mr. Nutting is very approachable. He’s willing to listen because he wants to win, which is good because that’s not the picture that a lot of people paint of him. The only difference is we’re going to win in a little bit different way than the Dodgers and the Yankees. But we’re going to win.

How do Pirates fans react whether they see you at the ballpark, at scheduled appearances or even at the grocery store or gas station?

Skenes: It’s super humbling the way I’ve been accepted and embraced by Pirates fans, and I like to think of it as by the city of Pittsburgh as well. It’s really cool to see them show up at the ballpark and root for us. It’s one of the reasons why we play the game -- to see the fans in the stands. It’s just an awesome experience.