The wait for Paul Skenes is almost over.

The Pirates are set to start their top prospect Saturday against the Cubs in a game fans have been waiting for since Skenes was taken with the first overall pick in last year’s MLB Draft. In anticipation of Saturday, where does Skenes’ Major League debut rank in franchise history?

1. Paul Skenes, RHP
May 11, 2024

For someone who has yet to pitch in the Majors, Skenes needs no introduction. The top pitching prospect of his generation, Skenes wowed social media and scouts alike every time he took to the mound for Louisiana State last year. He was ranked as MLB Pipeline’s top pitching prospect as soon as he inked his record-setting signing bonus. Saturday’s start is going to be one of the greatest events in PNC Park’s regular-season history.

Time will tell if Skenes can meet his sky-high expectations, but the Pirates could have the makings of one of the best rotations in the sport between him, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller.

2. Gerrit Cole, RHP
June 11, 2013

Perhaps the best comp for Skenes’ debut was the last time a former No. 1 pick debuted at PNC Park. Cole was MLB Pipeline’s No. 9 prospect entering 2013 and was the big arm waiting in the Minors. That 2013 team would go on to snap a streak of 20 straight losing seasons, and Cole immediately contributed, allowing just two runs over 6 1/3 innings -- while also driving in a pair -- to beat the Giants. He would go on to pitch to a 3.22 ERA over 19 starts as a rookie.

Cole has won a pair of ERA titles and a Cy Young and very well could be on a path toward Cooperstown, but he didn’t do his best work with the Pirates. He did get an All-Star nod in 2015, but most of his success has come with the Yankees and Astros.

3. Andrew McCutchen, OF
June 4, 2009

There was some frustration among fans when the Pirates traded Nate McLouth in early June, less than one year after he represented the team at the All-Star Game. That deal did more than net the Pirates three players in return, though. It also opened the door for McCutchen.

There wasn’t a lot of time for the anticipation of the debut game to build (McCutchen had a 5:40 a.m. flight that day and got to PNC Park only an hour before the 12:38 p.m. first pitch), but there was plenty of hype surrounding McCutchen in his rise through the Minors. The 2005 first-round pick was MLB Pipeline’s 12th-ranked prospect, and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact, singling in his first at-bat en route to scoring three runs against the Mets.

McCutchen is unquestionably the greatest Pirate of the 21st century, winning an MVP in 2013 while leading the Pirates to three straight postseason berths from 2013-15. Safe to say he lived up to the hype.

4. Kris Benson, RHP
April 9, 1999

The Pirates broke ground on PNC Park just two days before Benson’s debut, signaling the potential future of the organization. Benson had just helped Team USA medal in the 1996 Olympics and signed for a then-record signing bonus when the Pirates took him first overall in the 1996 Draft. Benson was as advertised in his debut, too, allowing just two hits over six innings and getting the win in a 2-1 victory over the Cubs.

Benson finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting that year, but didn’t quite live up to the expectations of that first overall pick. He pitched for the Pirates for five of his nine Major League seasons, going 43-49 with a 4.26 ERA with Pittsburgh.

5. Barry Bonds, OF
May 30, 1986

Bonds barely cracks the list, not because of him, but more so the state of Pirates baseball at the time. The Pittsburgh drug trials created a ton of bad publicity around the team, so much so that the Pirates nearly relocated less than a decade after winning a World Series. There just wasn’t much interest in the team.

Bonds was still the team’s top prospect with a ridiculously high ceiling. The Pirates needed an elite player to build around, and they ended up having one of the greatest of all time. Bonds would go on to win a pair of MVPs with the Pirates while serving as the catalyst for the team winning three straight division titles.