Pirates' Paul Skenes Explains Viral Award Night Reaction
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes served as one of the best pitchers in the MLB in the 2024 season, but he's made headlines off the field as well.
Skenes starred at LSU in 2023, after transferring from Air Force. He had a 13-2 record in 19 starts, 1.69 ERA in 122.2 innings pitched, gave up just 23 earned runs and seven earned runs, while making 209 strikeouts to just 20 walks, leading the program to a National Title that season.
He would enter the 2023 MLB Draft, where the Pirates took him with the No. 1 overall pick. He also signed with the franchise on a $9.2 million signing bonus, the highest ever given to a player.
Skenes dominated in the minor leagues and soon made it up to the majors on May 11 of the 2024 season.
He started 23 games, had a 1.96 ERA in 133.0 innings pitched, allowed just 29 earned runs, 94 hits, six home runs and 32 walks, while making 170 strikeouts and holding opposing hitting to a .198 batting average. He also had a 11.50 K/9 and a WHIP of 0.95.
He was also the first member of the Pirates to start for the National League in the All-Star Game since Jerry Reuss did it in 1975, 49 years ago. He is also just the fifth rookie to start an All-Star game, with Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers doing so in 1995, en route to winning NL Rookie of the Year.
Skenes also made the All-MLB First Team for his performance in 2024, won NL Rookie of the Year and was a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award.
When Skenes won the NL Rookie of the Year Award, the broadcast on the MLB Network showed him looking straight at the camera with no emotion, which people found hilarious for his lack of emotion when winning a big award.
Some fans even compared him winning the NL Rookie Year of the Award to other activities, such as driving a fire truck, which he appeared much more ecstatic for.
paul skenes winning roty vs paul skenes in a fire truck pic.twitter.com/Cg7gJZWvCQ
— hannah (@hannahk_2019) November 19, 2024
Skenes spoke to comedian Seth Myers on his primetime television show, Late Night With Seth Myers, and he cleared up the misconception that he wasn't happy, but rather that he was staying calm in the big moment.
"Yeah I think people mistook the facial expressions and all that for indifference. I would say it was composure for sure," Skenes said.
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.