PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – You might think he’s ready. The stats may tell you he’s ready, but the Pirates believe Paul Skenes needs more work in the minors before being called up.
Efficiency is the word that was used a few times by manager Derek Shelton during his meeting with reporters before the Boston series. They have to continue to build him up. He threw 3.1 innings before being pulled from his AAA start on Thursday. He gave up a double, two walks and struck out eight.
“There is a plan in place,” Shelton said Friday. “I know sometimes people want to expedite that plan and I understand that, that’s human nature, but we just feel there are steps he needs to take before we ultimately make that decision.”
It’s not that they are unhappy with how he’s thrown but they continue to emphasize patience with the top pick of the 2023 MLB Draft.
“He did a nice job,” Shelton said. “We’ve seen him have good starts and he’s done a good job so far. We’re gonna continue to build him up. I think the efficiency of his pitches is something we’re gonna continue to talk about, but we just have to get his volume built up. Overall it was another good start for him.”
Shelton said he realizes strikeouts are going to lead to higher pitch counts, but he used the efficiency word again. Even if Shelton or others in the organization want him up now, the Bucs manager said they have to do what is best for the player. He said they have to stay focused and disciplined to their thought process with Skenes.
Given what the 21-year-old said after the game on Thursday, he didn’t seem thrilled about having to leave another game early. It might be wearing on him and he wants to qualify for a win if nothing else. In his nine career professional starts, he hasn’t been allowed to pitch through the fifth inning or even reach the fifth for that matter. He has a career 1.86 ERA, 0.83 WHIP with 37 strikeouts to six walks in 19.1 innings.
Shelton is cool if he’s upset and he said there is awareness of what Skenes is feeling.
“I have not talked to him personally, but we have people in our group that talk to him, especially within our pitching group that have constant communication with him,” Shelton said. “Honestly, we kind of want him to think that. We want him to want more. We want him to do that. It’s one of the things we really liked about him when we drafted him is the fact that this guy has a winning mentality and a go mentality.”
“The fact that he’s thinking that, that’s ok. We are having conversations with him.”
Related
Shelton was not aware that Skenes has few hobbies and isn’t on social media, while rare, he said it speaks to the right-hander’s focus. He said that focus will be beneficial to not only to him, but the entire organization.
He just won’t be bringing that focus the Major League clubhouse, yet.