Pirates' Paul Skenes Earns Another All-Star Accolade

Skenes Joins Elite List on Sporting News All-Star Teams

Skenes is amongst the best players in baseball on the Sporting News All-Star teams, along with great pitchers in New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz, and American League pitchers in Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal and Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman.

The National League team included two Los Angeles Dodgers in catcher Will Smith and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, two San Diego Padres in third baseman Manny Machado and outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and two New York Mets in first baseman Pete Alonso and outfielder Juan Soto.

It also featured Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang, Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll.

Paul Skenes and His Sensational 2025 Campaign

Skenes had just a 10-10 record in 32 starts with the Pirates, but a 1.97 ERA over 187.2 innings pitched, 216 strikeouts to 42 walks, a .199 opposing batting average and a 0.95 WHIP, along with a 10.36 K/9, a 2.01 BB/9 and a 5.14 K/BB.

He ranked amongst the best pitchers in the MLB, with the lowest ERA, tied for the fourth most strikeouts, the fourth lowest WHIP, the sixth lowest batting average and the 10th most innings pitched, plus the fifth best K/BB, seventh best K/9 and ninth best BB/9.

Skenes also ranked highly in the National League, with the lowest WHIP, the fourth lowest batting average, tied for the second most strikeouts and the fourth most innings pitched, as well as the second best K/BB and both the fifth best K/9 and BB/9.

He'll likely finish the season as the National League Cy Young Award winner, making him the first Pirates pitcher to do so since Doug Drabek did in 1990 and the third overall, with Pirates Hall of FamerVern Law winning the Cy Young Award, with no league distinction, in 1960.

Skenes also had one of the best pitching seasons in recent years and made some MLB history along the way.

He was the first NL pitcher with a sub-2.00 ERA and 200+ strikeouts since right-hander Jacob DeGrom did it with the New York Mets in 2018. He is the first MLB pitcher to finish with a sub-2.00 ERA in a season since right-hander Justin Verlander did so with the Houston Astros in 2022.

Skenes became the first pitcher in MLB history to finish with 200+ strikeouts and a sub-2.00 ERA and still not have a winning record, since ERA became a stat in 1913.

He was the first qualified pitcher to post a sub-2.00 ERA in a season at 23 years or younger, since right-hander Dwight Gooden did so at age 20 with the Mets in 1985.

Skenes also made Pirates history, with his 216 strikeouts the most for a right-handed pitcher in the live-ball era (since 1920). Only Ed Morris, who had 326 strikeouts in 1886 and 298 strikeouts in 1885, the most and second most in a season in franchise history, has more than him.

His 216 strikeouts rank seventh most in a season in franchise history and fifth most in the live-ball era.

Skenes is just one of three Pirates pitchers that led the MLB in ERA, with right-hander John Candelaria last doing so in 1977 and right-hander Cy Blanton doing it first in 1935, according to OptaStats.

Paul Skenes Makes All-Star History As Well

Skenes started for the NL in the All-Star Game as a rookie in 2024, becoming the first rookie to do so since Hideo Nomo did so in 1995 and the first Pirates pitcher that did so since Jerry Reuss in 1975.

He then started the All-Star Game again for the NL, becoming the first pitcher to start consecutive All-Star Games in the first two seasons of their career.

Skenes is just one of two Pirates pitchers who have started twice for the National League in the All-Star game along with Bob Friend, who did so in 1956 and 1960.

He was also the first Pirates starting pitcher that earned consecutive All-Star honors since right-hander Bob Veale in 1965 and 1966 and one of three Pirates starters that achieved the feat, along with right-hander Rip Sewell in 1943, 1944 and 1946, as there was no All-Star Game in 1945.