Pirates New All-Star Feeling Impact of Paul Skenes
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Things have changed a bit since the last time Adam Frazier played for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Chief among them being the addition of starting pitcher Paul Skenes, who has rapidly turned into one of the best pitchers in baseball just one season into his career. Frazier had an opportunity to face Skenes during Spring Training workouts and seized it. Along with saying he wanted to face Skenes, he noted the impact the reigning National League Rookie of the Year can have on his teammates.
"It’s facing one of the premier arms in the game," Frazier said. "That’s what you want, not just in practice but in games. He’s going to bring out the best out of everyone.”
Adam Frazier on taking live BP vs. Paul Skenes: “I didn’t have to. I kind of wanted to. … Get in there and see what it’s like. It’s facing one of the premier arms in the game. That’s what you want, not just in practice but in games. He’s going to bring out the best of everyone.” pic.twitter.com/9kbpxAEPhm
— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 15, 2025
Frazier, 33, was drafted by the Pirates in 2013 and spent the first five-plus seasons in the big leagues with Pittsburgh before he was traded to the San Diego Padres in the middle of the 2021 season, the same year he made the lone All-Star appearance of his career. Frazier has since played for the Seattle Mariners (2022), Baltimore Orioles (2023) and most recently, the Kansas City Royals.
The veteran second baseman and outfielder posted a 10.5 Wins Above Replacement and batted .283/.346/.420 with 39 home runs and 204 RBIs in his first stint with Pittsburgh.
While the Pirates' rotation has a chance to be one of baseball's best if their young pitchers progress from last season, Skenes will undoubtedly set the tone for the staff in 2025. Along with winning the NL Rookie of the Year, he finished third in the NL Cy Young Vote and may have been in the thick of the race had he begun the 2024 season in the big leagues rather than Triple-A Indianapolis. Skenes was the fifth rookie in MLB history to finish in the top three for the Cy Young award and the first since Jose Fernandez in 2013.
😳 https://t.co/qcsUoR7NBM pic.twitter.com/vyaPRCj9f4
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 16, 2025
The Pirates' ace delivered one of the best rookie seasons in MLB history, going 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts while setting a franchise record for a rookie with 170 strikeouts over 133 innings. He 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.
Skenes was also the first rookie pitcher to start an All-Star game since Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Hideo Nomo in 1995.
