The Pittsburgh Pirates are smack dab in the middle of a pennant race, as they try to clinch their first postseason trip since 2015. The club currently sits third in the NL Central, and three and a half games outside of the third and final Wild Card spot. 2023 No.1 overall pick Paul Skenes has become Pittsburgh's ace less than a year after being drafted, yet in the middle of the most crucial time in their schedule, Skenes had his shortest stint in over two months. The right-hander went just 5.1 innings in an 8-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park, their home park.
“They definitely didn’t help,” Skenes said about Arizona to MLB.com. “They’ve got a good lineup. They are not going to let me, or anybody else, get away with just not throwing strikes. They are going to grind it out. It was one of those days.”
Although his team didn't win the day, Skenes held his head high. He owned the fact that he allowed the visitors into too many hitter-friendly counts and needs to be more efficient on the mound. If the former top pick can figure that out, then Sunday's start should just be a small speed bump in what is sure to be a star career from the young ace.
Paul Skenes, Pirates vying for postseason berth ahead of schedule
In all honesty, the Bucs are ahead of schedule in their rebuild. The major league roster has many young, home-grown players producing to some extent, with more on the way. Skenes is just the tip of the iceberg, and for good reason. The former LSU Tiger seems like the real deal, as he started the All-Star Game for the NL this year and is the likely winner of the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year award.
Other talented youngsters include fellow starter Jared Jones, shortstop Oneil Cruz, second baseman Nick Gonzales and reliever Luis Ortiz. Each of them has had seasons varying from above average (Jones) to excellent (Cruz). Jones has a 3.56 ERA in 91 innings pitched so far this season. The right hander is currently on the IL but should be back soon. Cruz continues to grow into a young superstar before fans' eyes. He's hitting .255 with 17 home runs, 55 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. He has a chance to be in the 20/20 club in his longest big-league stint to date.
Gonzales is currently injured, but when healthy, he's taken a lion's share of the starts at second base. Ortiz has evolved into a set-up man for closer David Bednar. The Pirates could transition him back to a starting role as well, as that's how he came up in their minor league system.
These are just a few of the names in a deep Pirates system. If everything finally breaks Pittsburgh's way once again, all of these players can take the Pirates back to their postseason in almost a decade. There are few sights better than October evening baseball at PNC.
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