Pirates' Paul Skenes is looking to take his game to new level in 2025

The 22-year-old right-hander had a dominant rookie campaign with the Pirates, cruising to a 1.96 ERA in 133 innings pitched (23 starts). He also averaged 11.5 strikeouts per nine frames, all of which culminated in an All-Star appearance, a top-three Cy Young Award finish (behind the Philadelphia Phillies' Zack Wheeler and the Atlanta Braves' Chris Sale) and of course, the aforementioned Rookie of the Year honors.

It's all enough to make you wonder why Skenes would even need to add two more pitches, especially when the ones he's already working with are overpowering enough. But that's the type of competitor he is, with his mentality of "trying to create more swing decisions" for the opposing batter, as he told reporters at spring training.

To get a sense of what facing Skenes is like from a hitting perspective, here's what teammate and utility player Adam Frazier had to say after  live batting practice: 

"If you hit it [the splinker], you're hitting it straight in the ground," Frazier said. "So it's like, 'All right, strap it on and get ready.'"

Of course, Skenes can't carry the Pirates all by himself, as Pittsburgh had a modest offseason and looks positioned to be a middle-of-the-pack club this season after winning 76 games in 2024. Although, any workload restrictions (much like the limits Pittsburgh placed on its young flamethrower last season) would certainly make contending even more difficult in 2025. 

For now, though, the Pirates appear willing to let Skenes experiment with an expanded pitch selection as spring training ramps up. And if he's able to bring those offerings with him into the regular season? Watch out.