The Pittsburgh Pirates made a historic Paul Skenes announcement during a game against the Minnesota Twins.
Pirates Make Historic Paul Skenes Announcement During Twins Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes is in his second major-league season as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft got off to an incredible start to his career last season, immediately establishing himself as the Pirates’ ace.
In 2024, he captured National League Rookie of the Year honors and finished in the top three in Cy Young Award voting. Over 23 starts, Skenes posted a minuscule 1.96 ERA, compiled an 11–3 record and struck out 170 batters across just 133 innings.
This year, he earned his second consecutive All-Star selection last week and—after Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies dropped out—is expected to draw the start for the National League in the Midsummer Classic.
During Friday’s outing against the Minnesota Twins, the Pirates announced that Skenes had made MLB history.
The team wrote, “Paul Skenes has reached 300 career strikeouts in only his 43rd career start. He is the first Pirates pitcher and one of only 17 Major League pitchers all-time to record at least 300 strikeouts in his first 43 big-league starts.”
Yeah, this isn't great.
— Kevin Barral (@kevin_barral) July 12, 2025
Edward Cabrera is seen walking into the tunnel with a trainer after only four innings of work.
Tyler Phillips is now pitching for the Marlins. He will receive as much time as he needs to warm up.#Marlins trail, 4-0
In 2025, through 19 starts prior to Friday’s contest, he leads all qualified pitchers in MLB with a 1.94 ERA. Despite his dominance on the mound, Pittsburgh’s inconsistent offense has limited his win total, leaving him with a 4–7 record.
While Skenes continues to make a compelling case as the best pitcher in baseball in his age-23 season, trade rumors have surfaced around his name. The Pirates, however, have made it clear that their young ace is untouchable.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
