Pittsburgh Pirates phenom right-hander Paul Skenes set the franchise rookie record for strikeouts in a season on Monday. With a strong start against the Miami Marlins – one earned run over six innings with nine strikeouts and one walk – the 22-year-old Skenes pushed his seasonal strikeout total to 151. That tally breaks the old Pirates rookie record set by Cy Blanton in 1935.
That, again, would be nine strikeouts in six innings on Monday:
As well, Skenes joined Dwight Gooden, Kerry Wood, and Mark Prior as the only rookie pitchers to strike out 150 or more batters in 20 or fewer starts. After Skenes’ effort in the 3-2 win over Miami, he’s now made 20 starts in 2024, and over that span he’s pitched to a 2.10 ERA with a 2.65 FIP and a K/BB ratio of 4.87. He’s also averaged six innings per start this season, and Skenes has logged a quality start in 70% of his outings in 2024. Perhaps most impressively, he’s struck out 32.3% of opposing batters. That’s an exceptionally strong figure for a starting pitcher, and if Skenes had a qualifying number of innings then he’d rank just behind Chris Sale‘s 32.4 K% among MLB qualifiers this season.
“It’s a game and I think the biggest thing is focused on being in the moment and staying present,” Skenes told reporters, including MLB.com, after Monday’s game. “All that other stuff is cool, but I think that’s a product of being in the moment and staying present over the course of the season. Just executing individual pitches and then that kind of shows up when you start tallying that stuff up.”
Armed with a fastball that regularly hits the triple digits and a wipeout “splinker” hybrid offering – among other pitches in his full five-pitch repertoire – Skenes has been dominant in his first professional season since being drafted No. 1 overall out of LSU in 2023.
Since Skenes barely pitched at all after being drafted last year, the 2024 season marks his first full campaign as a professional. Even though the Pirates kept him in Triple-A this season until May 11, Skenes has put himself squarely in the mix for National League Rookie of the Year honors and also positioned himself as perhaps a longshot NL Cy Young candidate.
As for Skenes’ Pirates, they’re a disappointing 68-76 on the season and marooned in last place in the NL Central. Skenes’ exceptional debut season, however, continues to provide a substantial measure of consolation to the organization and its fans.
