Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is going to get a lot of hardware this offseason after the campaign he just had, and that started this week with his first major award of the offseason.
On Friday, Skenes was named MLB Pitcher of the Year by Baseball Digest / Inside Edge, which wasn’t surprising given his otherworldly numbers this season.
After winning NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, Skenes put together a Cy Young-caliber season in 2025. The 23-year-old righty started the All-Star Game for the second year in a row, led MLB in ERA (1.97) and had the lowest FIP (2.36) in baseball.
The Baseball Digest / Inside Edge Awards for the 2025 season are in!
Player of the Year: Cal Raleigh
Pitcher of the Year: Paul Skenes
Relief Pitcher of the Year: Aroldis Chapman pic.twitter.com/G5D79hXmC4
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 3, 2025
“We have to give love to Paul Skenes,” Mark DeRosa said during the award announcement on MLB Network. “What he’s been able to do, the meteoric rise…There hasn’t been one stubbed toe here.”
Story continues below advertisement
After posting a 1.96 ERA in 2024, Skenes is off to one of the best career starts in baseball history. Through 55 starts, he’s 21-13 with a 1.96 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP, a 10.8 K/9 and 13.5 WAR, making him the first pitcher in MLB history with back-to-back seasons of a sub-2.00 ERA, a 10.0 K/9 rate and at least 100 innings.
With Skenes already established as arguably the best pitcher in baseball, he doesn’t have much room for improvement. The Pirates do, however, and it’s clear they need to get Skenes some help if they want to compete for a playoff spot in 2026.
More Pirates: Pirates Kick Off Pivotal Offseason With Surprising Coaching Staff Changes