PITTSBURGH — The individual trophy cases for Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal are growing increasingly full.

The next step in the evolution of baseball’s two best pitchers is winning — preferably where they are.

kAm%96 ab\J62C\@=5 $<6?6D 42AA65 9:D 3=:DE6C:?8 C:D6 E@ DE2C5@> 3J 42AEFC:?8 E96 }2E:@?2= {628F6 rJ *@F?8 pH2C5 @? (65?6D52J ?:89E] %96 !:EED3FC89 !:C2E6D 246 H2D 2 F?2?:>@FD 49@:46 3J E96 q2D632== (C:E6CDV pDD@4:2E:@? @7 p>6C:42[ E96 9@?@C 4@>:?8 >:?FE6D 27E6C $:6C A:E49:?8 AC:K6 😕 E96 p>6C:42? {628F6 7@C E96 D64@?5 DEC2:89E J62C 2D E96 2?49@C @7 E96 s6EC@:E %:86CD]k^Am

kAmpD 8C2E:7:65 2D E96J 2C6 3J E96 C64@8?:E:@?[ 3@E9 D2:5 E96J 2C6 6286C 7@C E96:C C6DA64E:G6 E62>D E@ 86E 😕 @? E96 24E 😕 a_ae]k^Am

kAm%92EVD H96C6 E9:?8D 86E EC:4

kAm%96 ag\J62C\@=5 $ 2D 2 3FD:?6DD 564:D:@?[ 4@?D:56C:?8 E96 967EJ C2:D6 E96 =67E\92?56C 7:8FC6D E@ 4@>>2?5 D9@F=5 96 9:E E96 @A6? >2C<6E 2D 2 7C66 286?E]k^Am

kAmxEVD >F49 E96 D2>6 7@C $<6?6D[ H9@ C6>2:?D F?56C E62> 4@?EC@= 7@C E96 C6DE @7 E96 564256 3FE 7@F?5 9:>D6=7 AFD9:?8 324< 282:?DE 2 C6A@CE E92E 96VD 2=C625J E@=5 E62>>2E6D 96 😀 6286C E@ >@G6 @?]k^Am

kAm“x 5@?’E @H H96C6 E92E 42>6 7C@>[” $<6?6D D2:5] “%96 8@2= 😀 E@ H:? 2?5 E96 8@2= 😀 E@ H:? 😕 !:EED3FC89]”k^Am

kAm%96 !:C2E6D 7:?:D965 =2DE 😕 E96 }{ r6?EC2= 😕 a_ad[ H6== @77 E96 A246 @7 7C@?E\CF??:?8 |:=H2F<66] %96 7:CDE A:E496C D:?46 sH:89E v@@56? H:E9 E96 }6H *@C< |6ED 😕 E96 >:5\`hg_D E@ H:? #@@<:6 @7 E96 *62C @?6 D62D@? 2?5 2 rJ *@F?8 pH2C5 E96 ?6IE C6>2:?D @AE:>:DE:4 !:EED3FC89 😀 4=@D6C E@ 4@?E6?5:?8 E92? >@DE E9:?<]k^Am

kAm“%96 H2J E92E 72?D D66 FD @FED:56 @7 !:EED3FC89[ !:EED3FC89 😀 ?@E DFAA@D65 E@ H:?[” $<6?6D D2:5] Q%96C6 2C6 ah 72? 32D6D E92E 6IA64E FD E@ =@D6] x H2?E E@ 36 2 A2CE @7 E96 ae 8FJD E92E 492?86 E92E]”k^Am

kAm$<6?6D — D6=64E65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^A:C2E6D\A2F=\D<6?6D\=DF\`ff`e657ag4525habfaehdh3a6ef`342Qm7:CDE @G6C2==k^2m 3J E96 !:C2E6D 😕 E96 a_ab 2>2E6FC 5C27E 27E6C 2 DE2?5@FE 42C66C 2E p:C u@C46 2?5 {$& — 5:5 9:D A2CE 😕 a_ad[ =625:?8 E96 >2;@CD 😕 t#p W`]hfX H9:=6 DEC:<:?8 @FE a`e 32EE6CD 😕 `gf `^b :??:?8D 5FC:?8 9:D 7:CDE 7F== D62D@? 😕 E96 3:8 =628F6D]k^Am

kAm*6E 6G6? H:E9 9:D 3C:==:2?46[ $<6?6D ?66565 2 =:EE=6 =2E6 96=A 7C@> !:EED3FC89’D H@67F= @776?D6 E@ 2G@:5 364@>:?8 E96 7:CDE rJ *@F?8\H:??:?8 DE2CE:?8 A:E496C E@ 7:?:D9 H:E9 2 =@D:?8 C64@C5] $<6?6D H@? E9C66 @7 9:D 7:?2= 7@FC 564:D:@?D E@ 7:?:D9 `_\`_]k^Am

kAm%92E D@\D@ H:?^=@DD >2C< 5:5?VE DE@A E96 E@H6C:?8 e\7@@E\e C:89E\92?56C 7C@> A=24:?8 2E@A 2== b_ 32==@ED] !9:=256=A9:2 =67E\92?56C rC:DE@A96C $á?496K C646:G65 6G6CJ D64@?5\A=246 G@E6[ 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^J@D9:?@3F\J2>2>@E@\5@586CD\>GA\d4ge5f`6375gdcc2fd2e34dae57h3g4hQm(@C=5 $6C:6D |’! *@D9:?@3F *2>2>@E@k^2m @7 E96 {@D p?86=6D s@586CD 7:?:D965 E9:C5]k^Am

kAm$á?496K’D a_ah @AE:@? AC:46 :?4C62D65 3J S` >:==:@? E@ S`d >:==:@? 2?5 9:D a_b_ @AE:@? AC:46 3J S` >:==:@? E@ S`e >:==:@? 2D 2 C6DF=E @7 36:?8 2 rJ *@F?8 pH2C5 7:?2=:DE]k^Am

kAm$ 2 D6A2C2E6 qq(pp A2?6=] %96 @E96C 7@FC H6?E E@ CF??6C\FA k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^82CC6EE\4C@496EQmv2CC6EE rC@496Ek^2m @7 E96 q@DE@? #65 $@I] wF?E6C qC@H? @7 E96 w@FDE@? pDEC@D 42>6 😕 E9:C5]k^Am

kAmp=E9@F89 5:D2AA@:?E65 E@ 36 @FE @7 4@?E6?E:@?[ $<6?6D D2:5 A=2J:?8 @FE E96 DEC:?8 H2D “2 3=6DD:?8” :?5:G:5F2==J 😕 D@>6 H2JD]k^Am

kAm“xE 2==@H65 >6 E@ ECJ D@>6 ?6H E9:?8D 😕 pF8FDE 2?5 $6AE6>36C E92E x H@F=5?’E 92G6 8@EE6? E@ ECJ :7 H6 H6C6 A=2J:?8 7@C E96 A=2J@77D[” 96 6IA=2:?65]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^E2C:<\D

kAmp J62C 27E6C E2<:?8 2 >2DD:G6 DE6A 7@CH2C5 3J H:??:?8 E96 p{ A:E49:?8 %C:A=6 rC@H? @? 9:D H2J E@ 36:?8 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^4J\J@F?8\2H2C5D\a_ac\47745fb76e5`4cf2b6f7bed_`2f7`hafQmF?2?:>@FD rJ *@F?8 H:??6Ck^2m[ $6 =625 😕 E96 p{ r6?EC2= 2?5 H6C6 42F89E 3J r=6G6=2?5 5@H? E96 DEC6E49]k^Am

kAms6EC@:E 8@E 2 3:E @7 C6G6?86 😕 E96 H:=5\42C5 C@F?5[ 362E:?8 E96 5:G:D:@?\492>A:@? vF2C5:2?D 😕 E9C66 82>6D 7@==@H:?8 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^E:86CD\8F2C5:2?D\D4@C6\D 3J $

kAm*6E 2D 7F? 2D E96 D62D@? H2D 2E E:>6D[ E96 5:D2AA@:?E>6?E @7 72==:?8 D9@CE @7 E96 F=E:>2E6 8@2= =:?86CD]k^Am

kAm“t?5:?8 E96 D62D@? @? 2 =@DD 😀 ?@E 2 7F? E9:?8[” $A=:D965[ 3FE J@F H2?E E@ 6?5 E96 D62D@? H:E9 2 H:? ]]] E96 @?6 😕 ~4E@36C @C >2J36 566A 😕 }@G6>36C J@F 86E E@ A=2J :?]”k^Am

kAm$6CD #2?5J y@9?D@? 2?5 !65C@ |2CEí?6K[ H9@ H2D E96 =2DE p>6C:42? {628F6 A:E496C E@ 8@ 324<\E@\324<[ 7@C q@DE@? 😕 `hhh 2?5 a___]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< 2 =@E @7 :E 😀 ?@E 36:?8 4@>A=246?E H:E9 H9@ x 2> E@52J[” $@C6 E@ E2A :?E@] x 5@?’E E9:?< E9:D 😀 E96 7:?:D965 G6CD:@? @7 >JD6=7]”k^Am

kAmp?5 96 5@6D?VE E9:?< E9:D 😀 E96 7:?:D965 G6CD:@? @7 E96 %:86CD]k^Am

kAm“*@F H2?E E@ H:? E9:D 2H2C5 2D >2?J E:>6D 2D J@F 42? 😕 J@FC 42C66C[ 3FE x’5 8=25=J EC256 2 rJ *@F?8 7@C 2 (@C=5 $6C:6D[” $

kAm$:?2E65 3J $62EE=6 😕 E96:C s:G:D:@? $6C:6D]k^Am

kAmrC@496E =65 E96 p>6C:42? {628F6 😕 :??:?8D Wa_d `^bX 2?5 DEC:<6@FED WaddX]k^Am

kAmqC@H?’D E@A\E9C66 7:?:D9 62C?65 w@FDE@? 2? 6IEC2 A:4< 27E6C E96 7:CDE C@F?5 @7 ?6IE yF=J’D 2>2E6FC 5C27E F?56C E96 AC@DA64E AC@>@E:@? :?46?E:G6 😕 E96 a_aa 4@==64E:G6 32C82:?:?8 28C66>6?E]k^Am

kAm$6D H:E9 2 492?46 7@C 9:> E@ 42D9 😕 2D A@E6?E:2= 7C66 286?4J =@@>D] t4@?@>:4D 2D:56[ $

kAm“x’G6 8:G6? 6G6CJE9:?8 x 92G6 E@ E9:D @C82?:K2E:@?] x H2?E E@ 36 2 %:86C 7@C 2 G6CJ[ G6CJ =@?8 E:>6[” 96 D2:5] “x’> ;FDE 8@:?8 E@ 5@ H92E x 5@ 2?5 ?@E C62==J 7@4FD @? 2?J @7 E92E DEF77]Qk^Am

kAm$<6?6D 2?5 $6 E9:D J62C] %96 @?=J @E96C E:>6 E96 EH@ p==\$E2C v2>6 DE2CE6CD H@? E96 rJ *@F?8 pH2C5D 😕 E96 D2>6 D62D@? H2D a__`[ H96? y@9?D@? 2?5 #@86C r=6>6?D 244@>A=:D965 E96 762E]k^Am

kAm|’! 2H2C5D 7@C 3@E9 =628F6D H:== 36 92?565 @FE %9FCD52J]k^Am

kAms@586CD EH@\H2J DE2C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^D9@96:\@9E2?:Qm$9@96: ~9E2?:k^2m 😀 2 962GJ 72G@C:E6 E@ C6A62E 😕 E96 }{ 2?5 H:? 7@C E96 7@FCE9 E:>6 @G6C2==[ :?4=F5:?8 EH:46 😕 E96 p{]k^Am

kAm}6H *@C< *2?<66D D=F886C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^22C@?\;F586Qmp2C@? yF586k^2m 😀 D66<:?8 9:D E9:C5 p{ |’! 😕 H92E 4@F=5 36 2 4=@D6 G@E6 H:E9 2?@E96C E@A 4@?E6?56C[ $62EE=6 42E496C r2= #2=6:89]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! |{qi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^|{qQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^|{qk^2mk^Am







Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.