The lively debate over the National League’s top rookie carried into September, as Jackson Merrill and Jackson Chourio produced every day for playoff-bound teams, but by season’s end it became a foregone conclusion:
Paul Skenes was in a class of his own.
The 22-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates ace was named National League Rookie of the Year on Monday night, taking home hardware to commemorate the most dominant season from a rookie pitcher in a half-century. Skenes received 23 first-place votes from members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America to finish ahead of Merrill (seven first-place votes) and Chourio (no first-place votes).
Skenes is the second Rookie of the Year winner in Pirates history, joining outfielder Jason Bay (2004). He’s also the first NL starting pitcher to win the award since another flame-throwing right-hander, the New York Mets’ Jacob deGrom, won in 2014. And even deGrom’s rookie numbers — 2.69 ERA, 1.140 WHIP and 144 strikeouts in 140 1/3 innings — pale in comparison to Skenes’ results: 1.96 ERA, 0.947 WHIP and 170 strikeouts in 133 innings.
Skenes, who last week was named to the All-MLB First Team, is also a finalist for the NL Cy Young award, alongside Atlanta Braves lefty Chris Sale and Philadelphia Phillies righty Zack Wheeler. The winner will be revealed Wednesday at 6 p.m. on MLB Network. Skenes ranked sixth among NL starters with at least 130 innings in Fangraphs WAR this season, with 4.3 fWAR.
“He’s doing things we haven’t seen anybody do,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said after Skenes’ last start this season. “Since he’s come up, it’s hard to argue that he’s not only been Rookie of the Year but he’s been one of the best pitchers in baseball. To have a sub-2.00 ERA in his first year, especially in today’s era, that’s pretty special.
“I think we’re seeing a guy that’s really elite, has the ability to make pitches and has room for growth.”
That last thought will terrify opposing hitters.
It’s also believable.
Two years ago this summer, Skenes transferred from Air Force to LSU. In the photo Skenes used to announce the transfer, he was in catcher’s gear.
Forever a Bird | #GeauxTigers pic.twitter.com/AjGXvJiPt8
— Paul Skenes (@Paul_Skenes) July 29, 2022
This poised, polished, prototypical power pitcher we now know to have a generational arm has only been fully focused on pitching for two years.
With a triple-digit fastball and a sweeping slider, Skenes soared up draft boards during his only season in Baton Rouge, La. He posted a 1.69 ERA and was named Most Outstanding Player as LSU won the College World Series. The Pirates, by virtue of winning MLB’s first draft lottery, selected Skenes first overall in the 2023 draft and signed him to a $9.2 million bonus.
The moment Paul was picked No. 1 🥹@Paul_Skenes | #ThePowerhouse pic.twitter.com/pbfEIzLdoZ
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) July 9, 2023
“I see a little bit of Gerrit Cole, a little bit of Justin Verlander, a little bit of all the top-of-the-rotation starters that I’ve scouted over the years,” Pirates amateur scouting supervisor Jack Bowen said after the draft. “He has a combination of a lot of things from some of the most successful pitchers I’ve seen in the past.”
On draft night, Skenes told reporters he felt his stuff was “big league ready,” but acknowledged he’d have a better idea after facing pro hitters. “My end goal is to be in the big leagues as long as possible and as soon as possible,” he said, “so I’m going to do whatever it takes along the way to accomplish that goal.”
Skenes threw 34 innings in the minors before being called up May 11. Skenes had been in pro ball less than a year when he was tapped to start the All-Star Game. Skenes became the fourth rookie pitcher to start the All-Star game, joining Dave Stenhouse (1962), Mark Fidrych (1976), Fernando Valenzuela (1981) and Hideo Nomo (1995). Skenes walked Juan Soto leading off the game, then retired Steven Kwan, Gunnar Henderson and Aaron Judge.
Skenes’ rookie season was a sight to behold. He held opposing hitters to a .198 batting average. He held opposing lineups to two earned runs or fewer in 20 of 23 starts. He threw six no-hit innings in his second start, and 6 1/3 no-hit innings in his sixth start. He whiffed Shohei Ohtani, punched out Judge and diced up Soto. After feasting with a fastball and slider in college, Skenes dominated with other offerings in the majors: batters hit .184 against his splinker (sinker/splitter hybrid), .104 off his sweeper and .088 off his changeup.
Skenes’ top competitors for Rookie of the Year also electrified their respective teams. Merrill, who made the Padres’ Opening Day roster, had a .292 average and hit 24 home runs — both figures good for second-best on the team. An All-Star, he led all NL rookies with 5.3 fWAR and was tied for second in wRC+ with 130. Meanwhile, Chourio, who made the Brewers’ Opening Day roster, batted .275 with 21 home runs. His 79 RBIs were fourth-most on the team. He had an fWAR of 3.9, third-highest among NL rookies, and 117 wRC+.
Despite the delayed debut, Skenes will earn a full year of service for his rookie season. A rule adopted in the 2022 collective bargaining agreement automatically grants the top two finishers in each league’s Rookie of the Year voting with a full year of service. Skenes is under club control for five more seasons. He’s on track to reach free agency after the 2029 season.
The Pirates are not eligible for the prospect promotion incentive (PPI), which rewards a club with a draft pick if their consensus top-100 prospect is promoted within the first two weeks of the season and either wins Rookie of the Year or finishes top three in MVP or Cy Young voting.
(Photo of Paul Skenes: Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)
