Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes put an impressive yet abbreviated capstone on his impressive rookie campaign against the New York Yankees on Saturday. Skenes, in his final start of the 2024 season, worked just two innings by design in the Bronx, and he was perfect across that brief start with three strikeouts in what turned out to be a 9-4 Pirates win.
Of his 23 pitches, 17 went for strikes, and he averaged 99.2 mph with his fastball. Skenes also induced six called strikes and a pair of swinging strikes. One of those called strikes may have also been his nastiest of the day. Juan Soto likely agrees:
This pitch from Paul Skenes is just mind-boggling 😳 pic.twitter.com/VirzuorfFi
— MLB (@MLB) September 28, 2024
Saturday's turn gives the 22-year-old Skenes the following final numbers for 2024:
In only one of his 23 starts did he allow more than three runs (four allowed against the Dodgers on Aug. 10). As for that sparkling sub-2.00 ERA, it's almost a modern rookie record, as Sarah Langs notes:
Lowest ERA in a season as a rookie, min. 20 starts (since ER official in AL+NL in 1913):
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 28, 2024
1913 Reb Russell: 1.90
2024 Paul Skenes: 1.96
1914 Jeff Pfeffer: 1.97
1918 Scott Perry: 1.98
Those are the only ones below 2.00… 3 DEAD-BALL ERA PITCHERS AND HIM https://t.co/icMDHwSqYM
As Langs also notes, the three pitchers keeping company with Skenes all pitched in an era in which runs were much harder to come by. For example, when Russell put up his rookie ERA of 1.90 for the White Sox in 1913, the league had an ERA of 2.93. In 2024, the MLB ERA is 4.07. Adjust for league environment, and Skenes has been much better in terms of run prevention.
Coming into Saturday's start, Skenes had a WAR of 5.8. He's the favorite to take home National League Rookie of the Year honors, although Jackson Merrill of the Padres figures to garner some support. Despite not making his first big-league start until May 11, Skenes is also likely to finish high in the NL Cy Young balloting.
The former No. 1 overall pick out of LSU arrived in the majors with exceptionally high expectations, and if anything he's surpassed them. Skenes is but toe-deep into his major-league career, but already his top-line results, elite stuff, and utter dominance of hitters much older and much more established all suggest he's a future superstar. Some might argue Skenes is a superstar already, and they'd have a point.
