PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – His worst outing of the season for 2023 first-overall pick Paul Skenes on Sunday and another non-committal reaction from Pirates GM Ben Cherington as to when he might pitch in the majors.
The bar is set really high for Skenes who went 4.1 innings, three hits, two runs, two walks and four strikeouts. He gave up his first home run throwing 40 of his 66 pitches for strikes.
Cherington admitted before the start, Skenes could be wondering when that call to the majors is going to come.
“I haven’t asked him this question specifically, I’m sure there are moments when he thinks to himself, ‘why am I here’?” Cherington said during his radio show on 93.7 The Fan and the Pirates Radio Network. “Lots of players ask that question.”
Most players aren’t Paul Skenes. The 21-year-old throwing over 100 miles-an-hour and over the season he has a 0.99 ERA, striking out 45 and walking eight in 27.1 innings with three earned runs allowed in seven starts.
Cherington would only talk more about the steps needed for the right-hander to reach the majors.
“We talk about those boxes being checked,” Cherington said Sunday. “(Sunday) is another one, it’s the first time as a professional and maybe the first time ever, that he will be starting a game on four days rest. It may not seem like a big deal, but it’s another box to check.”
“At some point the more boxes he checks, then the more boxes he checks and that will tell us the story.”
No talk of a call-up being on his next scheduled day to pitch, which would be Friday-which for the Pirates means the first of three home games against the Cubs. No commitment to anything except checking boxes. Cherington said he’s talked to Skenes and said he knows the plan. There doesn’t seem to be, at this point, a fear of him getting bored or frustrated waiting in AAA because he knows the plan for him.
“When he’s got clarity and that target in front of him, he’s in a good spot,” Cherington said. “That’s his happy spot. I’m going after this. I need to accomplish this so I can then do that, he’s so oriented towards accomplishment.”
“He is one of the most incredibly focused guys we’ve seen in the minor leagues. He’s got a real drive. It’s not just waiting for challenges and meeting the challenges, he’s pursing challenges. He wants the thing to be hard so he can get better.”
“We are sure glad he’s a Pirate.”
He’s not one yet, at least not in a Pirates uniform. He will be one day, but management is not tipping its hand as to when that might be.