MLB Announces Paul Skenes News on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hugh Green | Last updated Nov 13, 2025 9:56 PM ET

Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes had an incredible second season in Major League Baseball in 2025. Skenes started 32 games as the Pirates' ace, pitching to an MLB-leading 1.97 ERA in 187 2/3 innings with 216 strikeouts and just 42 walks.

This was the 23-year-old's second season in the majors after a fantastic rookie year in 2024, in which he was an All-Star selection and won the National League Rookie of the Year award.

After his unbelievable season in 2025, Skenes took home the NL Cy Young Award on Wednesday, becoming just the third player in Pirates history to win the award.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul SkenesCharles LeClaire-Imagn Images

While Skenes' season in the black and gold was otherworldly, it wasn't enough to bring Pittsburgh out of the doldrums. The Pirates finished with a 71-91 record in 2025, which had them come in last place in the NL Central.

Despite the rough year for Pittsburgh, Skenes' trophy cabinet grew even larger just one day after winning the Cy Young Award.

On Thursday, MLB announced that Skenes was named to the All-MLB First Team at the MLB Awards show in Las Vegas. This marks the first All-MLB selection of Skenes' career.

In his second season, Paul Skenes is named to the All-MLB First Team! pic.twitter.com/5CB5tfdz3G
— MLB (@MLB) November 14, 2025

While the MLB offseason is young, with the 2025 World Series finishing less than two weeks ago, rumors have swirled around the Pirates' franchise with Skenes' name coming up numerous times.

There have been reports that Pittsburgh may attempt to trade Skenes this offseason. Because he was drafted in 2023, Skenes is under team control through the 2029 season, meaning he won't be eligible for free agency until then.

At the general manager meetings this week, Pirates GM Ben Cherington shut down the rumors that Skenes is possibly being shopped around to other teams.

"Paul Skenes is going to be a Pirate in 2026," Cherington said.

This is fantastic news for Pirates fans who want their stud ace to be a Pirate for life.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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