If he gets his wish, Paul Skenes will compile more innings on his odometer in 2026.
The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner will start his year early by representing the United States in the World Baseball Classic. Skenes hopes to keep pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates this fall, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“I’m planning to throw seven months of baseball starting March 26,” Skenes said. “I don’t know how many innings you play in the postseason, but the plan is to be built up, ramped up for that.”
Skenes didn’t face any significant restrictions in his second season, working 187 2/3 innings in 32 starts. The 23-year-old showed no signs of fatigue, posting a 1.97 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 216 strikeouts.
The Pirates nevertheless exuded some caution, limiting Skenes to under 100 pitches in all but eight turns with a single-game maximum of 108 pitches. Perhaps they give their superstar more leeway if contending for a playoff berth.
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Pittsburgh hasn’t reached the postseason since 2015, but Skenes leads an intriguing roster eager to snap that drought. Bubba Chandler could give the organization another young ace, and the Pirates addressed last season’s bottom-ranked scoring offense by acquiring Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn and Marcell Ozuna.
With Skenes itching to compete in October, Pirates fans may wonder how much he’ll pitch for Team USA next month. He’ll presumably rejoin the Pirates to start their Opening Day matchup against the New York Mets on March 26.
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