Paul Skenes Named Baseball America’s Rookie of the Year

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has been named Baseball America’s 2024 Rookie of the Year.

Skenes emerged as one of the game’s top starting pitchers less than a year after he was selected with the top pick in the 2023 draft. He was promoted to the Pirates on May 11 and totaled 23 starts in his debut season in the big leagues.

The 22-year-old went 11-3 with a sparkling 1.96 ERA and struck out 170 batters in 133 innings pitched. Skenes held opponents to a .198 batting average and had a 0.95 WHIP. He led all qualified rookies in ERA, BAA and WHIP, was second in strikeouts and tied for second in wins.

Skenes’ 1.96 ERA was the lowest in baseball since his first-career start against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. He became the first pitcher since Scott Perry in 1918 to record a sub-2.00 ERA through his first 23 career starts.

In a year filled with so much attention, Skenes’ biggest moment came during this year’s All-Star Game. Skenes started for the National League and threw a scoreless inning, becoming just the fifth rookie in MLB history to start on the mound in the Midsummer Classic.

Entering the season, the big right-hander was considered the top pitching prospect in baseball and began the year with Triple-A Indianapolis. He made seven starts and posted a 0.99 ERA before the Pirates deemed him ready for the big leagues.

Skenes becomes the second Pirates’ player to win Baseball America’s Rookie of the Year along with Andrew McCutchen in 2009.

He’ll now look to become the first Pirates’ player to win National League Rookie of the Year since Jason Bay in 2004 when Major League Baseball awards are announced after the World Series. The 2024 National League Rookie of the year race looks like it will come down to Skenes and San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill.