Pirates insider shares how Paul Skenes can be in 2025 Cy Young contention despite an inferior win-loss record

Paul Skenes threw just four innings in a short start for the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher during their 4-2 loss against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. The 2024 NL Rookie of the Year has had a stellar record so far, but hasn't been able to get the wins on the mound.

There has been a debate over whether the Pirates should allow Skenes to go about his workload, with 7.0 innings outings so far this season, or manage it with short starts. This might be a break in rhythm for the 2023 No.1 draft pick, but considering the Pirates aren't playoff contenders, it will keep him fresh for years to come.

Insider Noah Hiles, in conversation with Colin Beazley, discussed the workload management that could factor in when considering the Cy Young award at the end of the season. As per Hiles, the Pirates shouldn't reduce Paul Skenes' workload so much that he falls out of contention.

"I would think the only reason you want to be a little cognizant of not completely butchering his workload is because this guy deserves a chance to win the Cy Young. Knowing that his win-loss record is not going to be good because you didn't surround him with a good enough team to take advantage of his many very productive starts, I think you owe it to the guy to at least give him a shot to eclipse 200 innings," Hiles said.

As per ESPN, Skenes is still the front man in the NL Cy Young odds with Zack Wheeler (7-3, 2.55 ERA, 0.93 WHIP) and Logan Webb (7-5, 2.52 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) behind him.

Despite earning four runs in a lackluster second innings against the Brewers, Paul Skenes still leads the National League with a 2.12 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. At the halfway mark of the season, Skenes has 102.0 innings, on pace for 204.0 innings for the season.

Paul Skenes offers special advice to Jacob Misiorowski

Brewers' rookie Jacob Misiorowski has had a stellar start to his rookie campaign, earning two runs on just three hits in three starts with a 1.13 ERA.

Paul Skenes, who knows about the media pressure that comes with fame, reportedly advised him:

“Got to protect yourself, for lack of a better term for it,” Skenes said. “Obviously with the media, but I'm assuming if he walks around Milwaukee now, there are probably going to be more people that recognize him and all that. If he does what he's supposed to do and what everybody thinks he can do, it's not going away anytime soon. So, get used to it and find ways to find peace and that kind of thing with it."

Both 23-year-old talented pitchers are considered the future on the mound for their respective teams. It remains to be seen how their seasons unfold.

About the author

Nikhil Parshy is a baseball and ice hockey journalist at Sportskeeda, and after starting out as a cricket reporter, he has been an analyst with SK since November 2022. His interest in the sports were piqued a few years back after watching highlights on YouTube and he has followed the game ever since.

The Chicago Cubs breaking the 108-year curse in 2016 to lift the World Series remains Nikhil's favorite baseball moment. Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani has been his favorite player ever since he started following the game, while the LA Dodgers are his favorite team.

As a writer, Nikhil maintains a strong attention to detail and rigorously cross-checks information. He seeks to strike a balance in his writing such that the regular reader gains an insight into player profiles, while also keeping in mind that the non-regular reader is not put off by jargon and shallow analysis.

Nikhil is an avid public speaker, and when not writing about baseball, he regularly participates in debates and quizzes.

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra