Pirates’ Paul Skenes Sets MLB Rookie Strikeout Record
Skenes Notched His 151st Punch Out of the Season, Breaking an MLB Record That Had Stood for Nearly 125 Years
A Historic Rookie Season
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes continued to make MLB news by setting a new franchise record for most strikeouts in a season by a rookie with 151 K’s thus far on the season.
One for the Books
The Bucs knew what they had when they selected LSU hurler Paul Skenes as the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, but few could have predicted how rapidly he would ascend as one of the top pitchers in the league in only his rookie season.
MLB rumors were swirling that the Pirates were prepared to give the then-21-year-old the largest rookie bonus in history, and those rumors proved true as Paul Skenes’ contract revealed he had been given a record-setting $9.2 million bonus. Thus far, he’s been worth every penny.
Paul Skenes is staying in Pittsburgh FOREVER
“These small market teams can pay guys and if they don’t it’s because they chose not to..
The Pirates can afford to keep Paul Skenes around but the question is are they going to”@JeffPassan #PMSLive https://t.co/K9JsazRgY6 pic.twitter.com/f2F6qvOFiZ
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 30, 2024
On Monday night, the 6’6” righty pitched six full innings, allowing just one run on six hits and striking out nine batters in a 3-2 Pirates’ victory over the Marlins. It was the sixth time this season that the rookie phenom struck out nine or more batters.
After the first 20 MLB games of his career, Paul Skenes’ stats show he has 151 punchouts, coupled with a 10-2 record and a 2.10 ERA. To put Skenes’ rookie season strikeout legacy into perspective, since 1901 only Kerry Wood (179 in 1998), Hideo Nomo (175 in 1995), Dwight Gooden (162 in 1984), and Mark Prior (154 in 2002-03) had more.
The hits keep coming for the young right-hander, as he was not only selected to the All-Star team in his inaugural MLB season but now owns the Pirates’ franchise record for strikeouts by a rookie, a mark that stood since 1935 until Monday night.
143 Ks. 🔥
Paul Skenes now holds the @Pirates record for strikeouts by a rookie since 1900. pic.twitter.com/76UNRcQEmj
— MLB (@MLB) September 9, 2024
Wins Matter
When interviewed after his historic outing on Monday night, Skenes said, “I’m old-fashioned. Wins matter. Wins and losses matter, I think. That’s kind of watered down now, but it definitely means a lot.”
Pirates’ manager Derek Shelton appeared a bit dumbstruck by Skenes’ superior efforts as a rookie, saying, “I can’t think of anybody I’ve seen that’s been that strikeout-heavy, especially early in their career. I’ve watched guys that have done it that have been elite pitchers throughout their careers, but I don’t know that I remember anybody being a rookie that has been like that.”
Paul Skenes counting his 9 Strikeouts. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/oFR5FhrSCL
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 10, 2024
As for the man himself, Skenes appears nonplussed by his achievements and the hoopla surrounding them. “It’s a game, and I think the biggest thing is focused on being in the moment and staying present,” Skenes said. “All that other stuff is cool, but I think that’s a product of being in the moment and staying present over the course of the season. Just executing individual pitches, and then that kind of shows up when you start tallying that stuff up.”
