The Pittsburgh Pirates are in a really good position to compete for a spot in the playoffs in the next few years.
Their roster is still flawed, but it’s definitely getting better.
However, there is one player increasing both the floor and the ceiling of the organization: his name is Paul Skenes, and he made his second start of his career on Friday against the Chicago Cubs.
The results were unbelievable: he didn’t allow any hits for six scoreless innings, walked just one (and that included a questionable call), and struck out 11.
He threw exactly 100 pitches and left his season ERA at 2.70.
It was a glimpse of what Skenes, who can regularly touch 101 mph with his heater, can do on a regular basis now that he is up.
The kid is not only very good, but he is confident in his abilities, too.
Here is a quote he said before his incredible game on Friday.
“‘Go ahead and adjust. Good luck.’ -Paul Skenes on hitters having more film to watch now,” Talkin’ Baseball tweeted.
“Go ahead and adjust. Good luck.” -Paul Skenes on hitters having more film to watch now pic.twitter.com/nzq9wwStBc
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 17, 2024
While hitters will, in essence, have more film to watch and analyze about Skenes, there is not much they can do about a perfectly located 101-mph pitch with run, or a filthy slider when they are not expecting it.
In other words, Skenes’ future and effectiveness will depend almost exclusively on him.
He has the raw tools, he has the command, and he has the confidence to be the Pirates’ ace for a really long time.
Pittsburgh, at long last, has a chance to do something special in the not-so-distant future.
The post Paul Skenes Shared Legendary Quote Before Dominant Start appeared first on The Cold Wire.