Pirates Star Already Named 'Likely' Hall of Famer

It didn't take long for one of the Pittsburgh Pirates' ace to assert himself as one of baseball's best.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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After a rookie season for the ages, Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes is already being tabbed to etch himself into baseball immortality in Cooperstown.

MLB.com's Mike Petriello named 40 likely Hall of Famers who will take the field in the 2025 season. Skenes made the cut, as he was ranked No. 37 on the list. Skenes' ranking placed him in the 10th tier with the "Young stars with two or fewer years of service."

Among the group was Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (35), San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (36), Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio (38) and Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford (39).

"We’re not saying any or all of these players will actually make the Hall, but they’ve shown enough in their first year or two to at least point out that they’re off to great starts," Petriello writes. "It’s not like it was hard to see greatness in just a single year of Acuña or Soto, anyway."

Skenes was nothing short of dominant en route to winning the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year and being a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award. He went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts and set a Pirates franchise record for a rookie with 170 strikeouts over 133 innings pitched. Skenes was also the first pitcher in MLB history to have an ERA below 2.20 and over 150 strikeouts in their first 21 games and the second pitcher since 1913 to have an ERA below 2.00 through their first 22 appearances.

In his 23 starts, Skenes pitched at least six innings and allowed two runs or fewer 15 times. Among those 15 starts, he struck out at least eight batters in 10 of them. The Pirates star also had two instances when he was pulled from the game after pitching a no-hitter through six innings.

Pittsburgh's ace was also the first rookie pitcher to start an All-Star game since Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Hideo Nomo in 1995.

What Skenes does for an encore will be among the top storylines for the Pirates in 2025. If he can find the same level of success, tabbing him as a future Hall of Famer won't be far-fetched just two years into his career.

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