The Two Words Pirates' Paul Skenes Hates The Most

Ahead of the 2026 season, Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes is looking to pick up where he left off.

While his record left a lot to be desired, this team has done a lot to make sure their offense gives Skenes an even better record en route to his second straight Cy Young award.

That's much easier said than done, but Skenes is as locked in as ever. During an exclusive interview with Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Skenes sidetracked for a moment to pinpoint two words in particular.

Should anyone ever have the chance to meet Skenes, avoid using the words "urgency" and "motivation".

Paul Skenes On Pirates Urgency

“I hate the word urgency," Skenes told Mackey. "I hate relying on other people. I’ve seen it in press conferences — and I’m not criticizing anybody — but I hate the word urgency. Because it’s like, ‘Oh, there’s urgency this offseason? What the f--- have we been doing the last however many offseasons?’

A bit later on, Skenes returned to the question with quite the closing remarks, "Opening day means the same as Aug. 15,” Skenes said. “Sorry, I forgot the question. I just heard urgency.”

Paul Skenes Doesn't Need Motivation

Skenes added, "I also hate the word motivation. Motivation lasts for four days. Opening day is a cool feeling, right? Then you come home, have your home opener and by the end of the homestand, it’s baseball.”

“I’m thinking about 2026 right now,” Skenes said. “I’m not gonna be thinking 2027 or anything like that until the time comes for that. It’s that simple," he said.

Pirates 2026 Season

Pirates SP Paul Skene — Sep 10, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) looks on during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Spring training is right around the corner and pitchers and catchers reporting will be here before you know it. Skenes has already turned into one of the MLB's top stars despite still being extremely young and inexperienced compared to some of the other aces around the league.

No one expects Skenes to go out and win another Cy Young, but it's hard to imagine a scenario where he regresses. Hitters are going to start to figure him out, but his numbers will still likely be out of this world and something other pitchers could only dream of.

Skenes made his mission for the 2026 season crystal clear: win. The LSU graduate cares more about winning than taking home a Cy Young or anything like that. Knowing the team has surrounded him with some new players, it'll be fun to see how everything turns out when the Pirates take the field on Opening Day in front of a national audience.

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