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Jun 3, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) high-fives in the dugout after pitching the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pirates' Paul Skenes Donates to Local Firefighters

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 9:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes focuses most of his time on baseball, but still makes time to come out and support the local community.

Local radio station 93.7 The Fan, who broadcast the Pirates games, announced their 'The Fan 5 Alarm Marathon', with a goal of raising money for local volunteer fire departments across the area.

Skenes donated $1,000 to the fund and also three signed baseballs, that fans had the opportunity to bid on June 4, as they auctioned off the first one. The Fan will announce at a later time when they'll auction off the other two other signed baseballs.

He spoke to 93.7 The Fan about the importance of supporting the fire departments and honoring the work first responders do.

"I mean, It's huge," Skenes said on the donation. "Like I said earlier, these firefighters and other first responders are doing everything they can and putting their lives on the line, their well-being, everything, for our community and it's, in my opinion, a more direct, a more personal sacrifice in some ways. So we can't ever repay everything that they're doing. At the end of the day, they're volunteering to do, put themselves in harms way and we have to support them."

Paul Skenes on the importance of supporting our first responders like we’re doing with The Fan 5 Alarm Marathon.

Text FIRE to (412) 207-3456 or donate by visiting the website at https://t.co/gIs12k4U1K pic.twitter.com/UemW5WtCNL
— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) June 5, 2025

Skenes announced at the beginning of the season that he would donate $100 for every strikeout to the Gary Sinise Foundation, honoring the first responders, veterans, defenders of the United States and their families. This is a part of a $100,000 campaign that Skenes asked fans for help supporting as well.

He is having a great season with the Pirates, despite his 4-6 record. He possesses a 2.05 ERA, with 19 earned runs over 83.1 innings pitched, 85 strikeouts to 19 walks, an opposing batting average of .181, a 0.88 WHIP, a 9.18 K/9 and a 2.05 BB/9.

Skenes leads the MLB in innings pitched, second in opposing batting average, fourth in WHIP, and seventh in ERA and tied for ninth in strikeouts.

He dominated in his rookie season in 2024, with an 11-3 record over 23 starts, allowing just 29 earned runs over 133.0 innings pitched for a 1.96 ERA, 170 strikeouts to 32 walks, a .198 opposing batting average, a 0.95 WHIP and a 11.50 K/9.

Skenes started for the National League in the All-Star game that season, becoming the first rookie to do so since Hideo Nomo did so in 1995 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He went on to win NL Rookie of the Year, earning 23 of the 30 first-place votes and becoming the first Pirates player since outfielder Jason Bay did so 20 years earlier in 2004.

Skenes also earned All-MLB First Team honors and finished third for the NL Cy Young Award.

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

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