The Pittsburgh Pirates will open their season on Thursday afternoon. Paul Skenes has already put fans on notice, giving them excitement with his plans to pitch deep into the playoffs.
The first step of a playoff run starts against the New York Mets on Thursday, and Skenes also has something to say about them, per a video posted by SNY Mets on X, formerly Twitter.
“They're a good team. It'll be exciting to face them,” Skenes said regarding the Mets.
Skenes pitched opening day on the road in 2025 as well. He went 5.1 innings against the Miami Marlins, striking out seven batters, but giving up two runs, as the Pirates took the loss to the Marlins. Skenes also faced the Mets once last year, which was in May. He went six innings in that game, striking out six, but giving up one run as the Pirates lost 4-3.
Current members of the Mets have hit .240 against Skened, with eight strikeouts and one RBI. The one RBI is from Bo Bichette. Still, his answer about facing the Mets shows his mentality, something that manager Don Kelly has spoken out about.
“When you say he wants to be great, the personal stuff is secondary,” Kelly said at the outset of spring training. “Paul Skenes wants to win — and that’s what drives him every single day. He wants to go out and win, and he wants to be great. When you talk about him as a competitor, it’s hard to say what can push him even further. Nobody is going to push Paul Skenes as hard as he pushes himself.”
Skenes is hoping to lead the Pirates to the playoffs for the first time since 2015. He also wants to help them win their first World Series since 1979. First pitch is set for 1:25 pm ET on Thursday against the Mets.
