WATCH: Paul Skenes Named Pirates Opening Day Starter
Is it breaking news? No. Is it even news? Hardly. In what’s long been anticipated, Paul Skenes will start for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Miami Marlins on Opening Day on March 27.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton informed Skenes of the decision and a video of the interaction was shared to Twitter/X on Saturday morning.
The moment Paul Skenes found out he was starting on Opening Day. pic.twitter.com/xLJUjPKpgY
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 15, 2025
The reigning National League Rookie of the Year, Skenes took the league by storm in 2024 after making his debut less than one year after being selected with the top pick in the 2023 draft.
Skenes flew through the minor leagues and was called up for his big-league debut on May 11 against the Chicago Cubs.
The big right-hander made 23 starts for the Pirates after he was called up last season and went 11-3 with a stellar 1.96 ERA. Skenes set the franchise rookie record for strikeouts in a season with 170 in just 133 innings.
Skenes enters the 2025 season as one of the top contenders to take home the National League Cy Young award after finishing third in the voting last year. He’ll get a chance to make his first impression right out of the gate.
He becomes the eighth different pitcher to make an Opening Day start for the Pirates in the last nine years. Teammate Mitch Keller started for the Pirates in the opener each of the last two seasons.
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