We know what you mean when you say “the big 3” in Pittsburgh sports right now. That combo has brought three championships to the city and new contracts last summer all but guaranteed that Crosby, Malkin and Letang will play together for their entire careers in Pittsburgh.
As the 1st round of the MLB Draft approaches on Sunday, I’m finding myself dreaming of another Big 3 construction here in town.
This one will take most likely a contract commitment, some faith and some further development.
Let’s start with that contract commitment. Mitch Keller’s name has been floated out there in trade rumors recently, most notably by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. Keller would certainly net a hefty return, especially with his brand spankin’ new All-Star recognition.
But to me, Mitch Keller should be a part of this team’s future. There are young players like Henry Davis, Nick Gonzales, Jack Suwinski, Endy Rodriguez on the way and of course Oneil Cruz currently on the shelf that should be ushering in more wins. You keep Keller around to potentially lead a pitching rotation as an “elder statesman” at just 27 years old.
I was as skeptical as anybody about Keller heading into this season. I still wasn’t sold that he had figured it out. But after watching him work through tough situations, win games when the team needed it and go toe-to-toe with aces from other teams, I do think he’s figured it out. And I want him to be here when the Pirates start winning games.
So that’s the first part. The second….some faith. Faith in the prospect. Faith that he’ll be able to stay healthy. Faith that he’s truly a generational talent who can do things few, if any, prospects have ever done before.
I’m talking about Paul Skenes of LSU.
At 6-8, he’s a monster. He’s set strikeout records. He routinely hits 100+ mph. He looks like a guy who could be drafted 1st overall and start a game in the big leagues the next day. I originally wanted the Pirates to draft Dylan Crews first overall, but after looking it to more and seeing smart baseball people comment on Skenes, I’ve flipped.
I want Paul Skenes as part of the next Big 3 in Pittsburgh.
Check out this clip from former MLB executive Dan O’Dowd on MLB Network about Skenes. It might change your mind, too.
The final part is further development…and that’s with Quinn Priester. He’s been touted as a pitcher with ace-like potential, but he’s had his ups and downs through his minor league journey to this point.
Through 16 starts at AAA Indy, Priester owns a 4.54 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 79.1 innings. Over his last seven starts, he’s gone back and forth with good starts and bad starts. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the goods. We look no further than Mitch Keller to know that working through highs and lows doesn’t mean you won’t ever have sustained success.
So, that’s my hope. I’m all in on it now. I want to see Keller, Skenes, Priester at the top of the Pirates pitching rotation for years to come. I want to chase after the Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine magic. Or the Hudson, Zito, Mulder days with the A’s.
As Bob Walk says (and granted he’s a little biased), starting pitching is the bedrock of success (he would take Skenes “in a second” he says). I tend to believe him.
The Pirates still have bats coming through the system like Endy Rodriguez and Terrmarr Johnson. In my mind, considering the volatility and often times the injury risk associated with pitching, you can never have too many of them.
Yes, there’s risk with Skenes because of what I just mentioned. But he could make an immediate impact and keep you in games for a long time.
Give me Skenes.