Paul Skenes (Creative Commons/Minda Haas Kuhlmann)
There is hope on the horizon.
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost another game last night. The final score was Cubs 7 Pirates 3. There’s nothing unusual about that. The Cubs have taken the season series from the Pirates for the last nine years. Yet, if you liken the Pirates franchise to the Star Wars Franchise, this Pirates season might be called, A New Hope.
Last night’s starting pitcher for the Bucs was Jared Jones. Jones took the loss, which dropped his record to 2-4. Still, he pitched well and currently has an ERA of 2.68 while striking out 56 hitters in 47 innings. In most organizations he’d be the top pitching prospect, but not the Pirates. That honor falls to Paul Skenes.
Skenes makes his big-league debut tonight against the Cubs. Skenes has struck out 45 in 27.1 innings in Triple-A. He was the number nine prospect according to the 2024 Baseball Prospectus, but the top ranked pitcher. He’s listed as being 6’6″ and weighing 235 lbs. And he has a fastball to match that physique. He also has a devastating slider and a couple of other pitches in his arsenal.
The Pirates could have a couple of studs to head up their rotation.
Help Wanted: Position Players
Most of the top prospects in the Pirates farm system are pitchers. At the major league level, the Bucs have a couple of guys worth taking note of. Shortstop Oneil Cruz is one of the most imposing specimens in MLB. At 6’7″ and weighing in at 215 lbs., Cruz has prodigious power and a rocket arm. Whether he remains at shortstop remains to be seen.
Third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes won a gold glove last season, and he swung a decent bat. He’s posted two seasons of a WAR of 4.0 or better.
Bryan Reynolds is a reliable outfield cog who provides a reliable source of power, but all in all, the Pirates are in desperate need of rub producers.
The failure of catcher Henry Davis to gain some traction as a hitter has set the Bucs offense back a bit. They didn’t have much margin of error to begin with.
Free agent signing, first baseman Rowdy Tellez, has been a disappointment so far. He’s hitting under .200 with one home run. That’s not what you expect from one of your alleged power guys.
Will the Pirates ever Spend What They Need to?
The simple answer is probably not. Instead, they’ll try to catch lightning in a bottle while Jones and Skenes are under contract. That’s a shame. The Pirates have a foundation to build on. If only they would.
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