Legendary Basketball Announcer Praises Pirates' Paul Skenes
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes regularly receives adulation from baseball greats, media, fans and contemporaries, but he also earns praise from people in other sports.
Dick Vitale, the long-time ESPN color commentator for men's college basketball, said that on Twitter that Skenes is the best pitcher he's ever seen with a poor record. Vitale also wishes Skenes got more run support, which would give him a more favorable record than he's had this season.
"Yes [Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes] is by far the BEST 4-6 pitcher I have ever seen. Has an amazing 1.78 era & with any run support, he would be 10-1. He has been unbelievable & 'Awesome Baby', but the Pirates bats have been silent."
Yes @Pirates @Paul_Skenes is by far the BEST 4-6 pitcher I have ever seen . Has an amazing 1.78 ERA & with any run support he would be 10-1 - he has been unbelievable & “Awesome Baby”but the Pirates bats have been silent .@MLB @ESPNPR
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) June 14, 2025
Skenes currently has a 4-6 record in 15 starts, but has a 1.78 ERA over 96.0 innings pitched, 97 strikeouts to 22 walks, a .176 opposing batting average and a 0.85 WHIP.
He is one of the best pitchers in baseball, ranking first in opposing batting average, second in ERA, WHIP and innings pitched, plus ninth in strikeouts.
The Pirates have scored 50 runs total in those 15 starts, but scored 10 runs twice in two of those games, and just 30 in the other 13. They've scored four runs or less in 12 of those starts, with three of those losses shutouts.
One of his best games came against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on May 18. He went eight innings, allowing just three hits, a walk and an earned run, while tying his season-high of nine strikeouts, but because the Pirates didn't score, he took the loss in his first career complete game.
The Pirates took Skenes with the No. 1 overall pick in 2023. He also signed with the franchise on a $9.2 million signing bonus, the highest ever given to a player at the time.
Skenes has pitched sensationally since coming up to the MLB on May 11, 2024, serving as one of the best players in baseball.
He finished his rookie season 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.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.