Pirates' Paul Skenes Surprises Little League Team
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PITTSBURGH — The life of a baseball player is tough and incredibly long during the 162-game season, but Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes doesn't let that stop him from giving back.
Skenes had a day off on June 8, but saw kids playing at a nearby park and decided he would go over and play catch with them before driving home.
He ended up playing with Ingomar Franklin Park Little League (IFPLL), about 13 miles north of the city, and spent two hours there, signing autographs and taking time to meet with all the kids.
It's an important moment for Skenes, who continues bonding with the community and even did so one day before he takes the mound vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park on June 9.
Paul Skenes is an awesome human in case anyone was wondering.
— BIG BOB (@FSBigBob) June 9, 2026
He was driving by the Ingomar Franklin Park Little League baseball fields last night and saw the lights on and just pulled on in.
He was there over 2 hours signing, taking pictures and playing catch with the kids. pic.twitter.com/oHsYc2qyqP
Paul Skenes is the Future of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Skenes is already one of the best pitchers in baseball, coming off of winning the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year Award and then the 2025 NL Cy Young Award, making him a fan favorite at PNC Park.
He is in his third season with the Pirates and while his 2.83 ERA is much higher than his usual sub-2.00 ERA, he still has a 0.90 WHIP and a .194 batting average allowed (BAA), third-lowest and fifth-lowest amongst MLB qualified pitchers.
Skenes will stay with the Pirates through the end of the decade, as he is in the final year of pre-arbitration, where he makes a salary of $1.085 million, and then will go to arbitration the next three seasons, where he and the Pirates will agree on a salary for that season, or have a panel decide on which figure is the salary for that season.
The Pirates signing Skenes to a long-term contract extension is unlikely at this point, but they've put themselves in a much better position to start winning, as the are 34-32 so far this season, something that Skenes values above anything else.
Offseason additions in right fielder/first baseman Ryan O'Hearn and second baseman Brandon Lowe have made a big difference, but the internal improvements of the likes of outfielders Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds and infielders in Spencer Horwitz and Nick Gonzales have made the Pirates lineup one of the best in baseball.
Skenes is the leader of the Pirates rotation, which includes veteran Mitch Keller, budding All-Star Braxton Ashcraft, the electric Jared Jones back from injury and rookie Bubba Chandler, still looking to prove he's got it as a major leaguer.
The Pirates are competing amongst a number of top teams in the National League and in the Central Division as well, but they've put themselves in good position to push for a playoff spot come the end of the season.
Skenes getting close to Cy Young form would do wonders for the Pirates' chances, but also, if they make the postseason, there's few pitchers you'd want on the mound more than Skenes.
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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.