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Paul Skenes might be a flamethrowing phenom on the mound, but on Tuesday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Pirates ace traded his spikes for something a little more down-to-earth — literally.
In a wholesome pregame moment at PNC Park, Skenes was spotted helping the Pirates grounds crew maintain the field just hours before his scheduled start against the St. Louis Cardinals. According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Noah Hiles, the right-hander spent a solid 15–20 minutes out there “chopping it up with the boys” on the infield dirt.
Turns out, there was no deeper reason behind it than pure boredom.
“Paul said he was out there because he was bored,” Hiles followed up on X (formerly Twitter). “Added that he would love to cut grass professionally whenever his baseball days are over.”
Yes — the potential future NL Cy Young winner already has his eye on a post-baseball career in landscaping.
Paul Skenes, Pirates outduel Cardinals on Tuesday
While the moment made fans smile, it didn’t throw Skenes off his rhythm. The 22-year-old righty took the mound later that night and delivered another gem, tossing five scoreless innings against the Cardinals. He allowed five hits and one walk while striking out five — his best outing yet against a team that has given him trouble in the past.
Despite posting a 2.56 ERA in five prior starts against St. Louis, Skenes was winless (0-4) entering the game. That changed Tuesday thanks to a clutch eighth-inning run by the Pirates, helping secure a 1-0 victory and extending their season-best win streak to five games.
It was another step in what’s becoming a historic rookie campaign for the LSU product. Drafted No. 1 overall in 2023, Skenes has quickly cemented himself as the face of the franchise — and now, perhaps, the unofficial sixth member of the Pirates grounds crew.
The image of Skenes working the infield dirt, circled in a now-viral photo, embodies what fans love about him: his talent is generational, but his attitude is refreshingly humble. While some aces are laser-focused on their routines in the hours before a start, Skenes was loosening up with the grounds crew like one of the guys.
Of course, it’s not every day your franchise pitcher willingly gets his hands dirty hours before facing a division rival. But with Skenes, it seems par for the course. And let’s be honest — the guy might throw 100 mph heaters, but apparently, he also knows his way around a rake.
With the Pirates still fighting to stay relevant in a packed NL Central, Skenes continues to be a bright spot — on and off the field. As fans gear up for the next start, don’t be surprised if they spot him getting a head start on his backup career. After all, he’s got a mound to maintain — whether it’s 60 feet, 6 inches away or right beneath his boots.
In the words of the man himself, if baseball doesn’t pan out (spoiler: it’s going extremely well), cutting grass professionally might just be the next big chapter.
