Pirates' Paul Skenes Reveals Major Goal for 2025 Season
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Even coming off of one of the greatest rookie seasons in MLB history, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes believes there are areas of his game that he can improve.
Among them is the ability to make better use of his pitches. Skenes noted that his ability to get ahead in counts and get more outs in fewer pitches will be points of emphasis for him in 2025.
"Being more efficient," Skenes said. "I think it boils down to that. There are a number of different ways to do that, but that's the big one. Just get guys out earlier."
Some live BP action this afternoon. Paul Skenes vs. Adam Frazier drew a nice crowd. pic.twitter.com/EDGzvfGIu4
— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) February 15, 2025
While being more efficient may be where Skenes wants to improve, he knows that getting strikeouts will be how he gets most of his outs because of the stuff he possesses. Skenes' 170 strikeouts in 2024 set a rookie record for the Pirates.
Still, even with the weapons he has in his pitch mix, the Pirates right-hander knows getting ahead, and winning, counts will go a long way toward helping him attain his goal of becoming more efficient.
"That's going to be my identity," Skenes said. "I'm definitely not going to try to strike out fewer people. With my stuff and presence and that kind of thing, I'm going to get my strikeouts. It's just a matter of limiting the 1-0 [and] 2-0 counts. That's more of how I'm thinking about it."
Skenes reached at least 100 pitches nine times across his 23 starts in the big leagues in 2024. Across those outings, he pitched six innings or fewer in six of them. Pittsburgh's caution also played a role in Skenes not going as deep into games, which could change with him now entering his second season in the majors.
Skenes was also taken out of two games in which he had a no-hitter going, but his pitch count was the driving force behind his exits.
On the heels of his historic rookie season that saw him win the National League Rookie of the Year and finish third in the Cy Young vote, Skenes is already in the conversation for the best pitcher in baseball. But if he can find a way to be more efficient while still racking up his strikeouts, he could cement himself as baseball's best by the time the 2025 campaign is all said and done.
