The Colorado Rockies spent last weekend getting swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates. While Pirates rookie Bubba Chandler stole the show in his first appearance in the major leagues, he wasn't the most dominant pitcher in the series. Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak and his teammates could not break through against Paul Skenes, who put forward one of the best starts of his season.

Skenes has given his opponents fits for the last year and a half. The second-year pro is well on his way to the first National League Cy Young Award of his career. He kept it up on Saturday, limiting Moniak and the Rockies offense to just three hits. By the time his start was over, he had pitched seven innings without giving up any runs. He remains a daunting presence on the mound.

Even though he is an opposing player, Moniak gave the ace his props when talking about facing him. Major League Baseball captured a conversation between the outfielder and Pirates commentators about Skenes and how he looks to hitters around the baseball world.

“Yeah, I mean you know he's got good stuff,” Moniak said about Skenes. “You know, obviously, one of the best, if not the best pitcher in the game right now.”

Skenes' play has earned him praise from current and former players around MLB. However, his dominance has not translated into wins for the Pirates this season. Pittsburgh fired its manager after a rough start to the season and were unable to find its footing throughout the year. However, the Pirates are 7-3 across their last ten games, giving fans hope moving forward.

Skenes had to fight off trade rumors before the deadline this season. Despite those conversations, he and Chandler figure to be big pieces of Pittsburgh's long term plans. Shutting down hitters like Moniak and other stars isn't an issue for the Pirates' pitching staff. Now, the question is how Pittsburgh will upgrade the offense to try to put everything together in 2026.

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