Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) looks on from the dugout against the Toronto Blue Jays at LECOM Park on March 5. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Paul Skenes of Pittsburgh Pirates Delivers Quote That Will Have Fans Ready to Run Through a Wall

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated Mar 23, 2025 9:33 AM ET

Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates may be the best pitcher in the National League coming into 2025.

He's also incredibly motivated, as evidenced by a recent quote he gave to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com:

"I think we owe something to the city. We owe a lot to the city. It's our job to go out and win for the city because this is bigger than all of us. There's a reason why 'Cutch (Andrew McCutchen) keeps coming back, and specifically to Pittsburgh. There's something about this city. We saw it last summer. We've seen it in videos of the Wild Card game. I'm tired of watching them because it was a Wild Card series. The bar needs to be set pretty high. Not taking anything from those guys. The fact that that's a Golden Era in recent Pirates baseball, that needs to chance. We owe it to the city."

Talked with Paul Skenes for a bit after his start Saturday and asked if he feels the expectations of being the face of the Pirates.

The answer wasn't a "yes" or a "no." It was a peek into what drives a 22-year-old with seemingly infinite potential. pic.twitter.com/7zhnRSxT15
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) March 22, 2025

If that doesn't get Pirates pumped up, what will? Pittsburgh is coming off a last-place finish in the National League Central, but Skenes is dead set on changing that and the team seems to be in a solid position to do that.

With Skenes and Mitch Keller (and Jared Jones, if healthy), they have a solid foundation at the top of the starting rotation. Bryan Reynolds, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Oneil Cruz make up a solid core group of position players.

Skenes finished his rookie season in 2024 at 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA. He struck out 170 batters in just 133.0 innings and looked every bit the part of an ace moving into 2025. The former No. 1 pick in the draft (2023), Skenes made his major league debut in early May after just a handful of minor league starts.

Armed with an upper-90s fastball and his power "splinker," Skenes also earned the start for the National League in the All-Star Game. In addition to winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award, Skenes was also already a finalist for the National League Cy Young.

The Pirates open up the regular season on Thursday, March 27 at the Miami Marlins.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: