Paul Skenes Addresses Pirates Bringing Back A.J. Burnett

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes is one of the best pitchers in baseball and has gotten some help down in Spring Training.

Former Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett is at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla. this week, by invitation of manager Don Kelly. Burnett will serve as a mentor for the Pirates' pitching staff and watch the team workout.

Skenes spoke with the media about Burnett and what it means to have a pitcher during the last successful Pirates teams on the staff right now.

The 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner recognizes the importance of having Burnett with the team this week and that he's excited he's with the Pirates right now.

“...Yeah I mean, if you want to win, you’ve got to surround yourself with winners," Skenes said in a video from Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. I think it’s pretty simple with that, so he obviously won and has played for some really good times. 

“I look at guys that have played on consistently good teams and I usually think that if they’ve played for really good teams throughout their career, there’s a reason why, at least partly. 

“Everything I’ve heard and seen on him is that he’s a difference maker. Shapes the culture of a clubhouse and character of the team. It’s great to have him”

Looking at the Differences Between the Two Pitchers

Skenes is one of the more dominant pitchers in baseball at the early part of his career, with the Pirates drafting him first overall in 2023, whereas Burnett joined towards the end of his career in a trade.

The two players have had success with the Pirates, as Skenes just won the Cy Young and was the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year, while Burnett earned his first All-Star nod in his final season in 2015.

Both pitchers also have different styles of pitching that suit them, but show how pitchers can succeed with different personalities.