"Best place in the league to play" - Paul Skenes delivers promising message to Pirates faithful amid growing contract extension buzz

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has been one of the most watchable players in the league since his MLB debut last season. However, with his stocks rising as one of the best pitchers in the game, speculations of a move away from Pittsburgh have grown this season.

Pirates' 51-67 record has been one of the biggest catalysts behind Skenes' trade rumors as the franchise is unlikely to make the postseason for a second season running with the flamethrower.

Despite their struggles, the Pirates refused to part ways at the trade deadline last week and Skenes delivered a positive message amid contract extension rumors during a chat with MLB broadcaster Tricia Whitaker on Saturday.

"Great city, obviously a great Stadium and fans are awesome, Skenes said on playing in Pittsburgh. This place is, I think, the best place in the league to play when the fans are here, so just gotta keep going.

While Paul Skenes has been a fan-favorite since donning the Pirates jersey, the team hasn't always backed their All-Star starter. Skenes holds a 7-8 record despite a league-best 1.94 ERA because the Pirates' offense hasn't often backed a solid performance by the ace.

Paul Skenes discussed the transition from playing under Derek Shelton to Don Kelly

The Pirates fired Derek Shelton after a disastrous start to the season in May and promoted coach Don Kelly for the role. Although Kelly struggled initially, the Pirates have shown signs of life under their former players with some impressive wins.

Skenes reflected on the transition:

"It seems he was prepared before he got the job. He's a very good motivator. A really good leader that understands culture and just understands some of the adjustments that need to be made within the organization within the locker room. I think he's done a really good job with that."

Paul Skenes started the All-Star game for a second consecutive season and is in the race for the NL Cy Young award after finishing third last year. He is considered the front-runner by many and if Skenes wins the prestigious award, it would only bolster the stocks of the flamethrower and land him a lucrative deal.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash