Paul Skenes DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Pittsburgh Pirates' Grapefruit League game on Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies was rained out, but right-hander Paul Skenes still threw a 45-pitch live batting practice session at LECOM Park, according to the team. The 22-year-old will have to wait to make his spring training debut in a game, but it has nothing to do with any kind of injury. The former first overall pick out of LSU took the league by storm last year in his MLB debut, going 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA (2.44 FIP), 0.95 WHIP, 170 strikeouts and 32 walks in 133 innings over 23 starts to become a first-time All-Star while also winning the National League Rookie of the Year honors. The sky is the limit for Skenes in 2025 in what will be his first full MLB campaign with the Bucs. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 2 fantasy pitcher and the No. 11 overall player.

According to Kevin Gorman of the Tribune-Review Sports, Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes is experimenting with a cutter and a running two-seamer. Pirates pitching coach Oscar Marin noted that these experiments will improve Skenes' pitching efficiency. Marin noted that the reigning NL Rookie of the Year has emphasized getting into favorable counts and adding more pitches to his repertoire will only improve his chances of doing so. Last summer, the former top pick of the 2023 MLB Draft held a stellar 1.96 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP across his first 133 big league frames. He tallied strikeouts at an incredible 33.1 percent rate and generated ground balls at a strong 52.3 percent rate. Skenes relied heavily on his four-seamer and sinker during his rookie season, but additional pitches could only improve his efficiency on the mound. He is viewed as one of the top pitchers in all formats and is a consensus first-round selection.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes, who won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2024 after posting a 1.96 ERA in 133 innings pitched, said he wants to attack the strike zone more in his sophomore season. Skenes was significantly below Braves lefty Chris Sale and Tigers lefty Tarik Skubal, the NL and AL Cy Young winners, respectively, in first-strike percentage at 62.1%. He ranked 71st in overall strike percentage (66.1%) among pitchers with more than 1,000 pitches thrown. Despite not having pitched in a full season at the major-league level yet, the former LSU star is already one of the best pitchers in baseball and is currently ranked as the No. 3 overall fantasy hurler, behind only Shohei Ohtani and Skubal. Pounding the zone more often will only make Skenes more tough, as no hitter in baseball wants to get behind in the count early to a pitcher with his nasty arsenal.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes was named the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year on Monday evening. Skenes, last year's first overall pick out of LSU, debuted less than a year after being drafted and is a generational talent at the position. The 22-year-old went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA over 23 starts in 133 innings for the Pirates this year, and his 170 strikeouts were a franchise record. His ERA was the lowest for a rookie pitcher with at least 20 starts in the live-ball era (dating to 1920) and the lowest of any pitcher in 2024 with at least 130 innings. Skenes' fWAR was 10th among big-league pitchers, and he was also named one of the finalists for the NL Cy Young, joining lefty Chris Sale and right-hander Zack Wheeler. Skenes is already one of the most dominant pitchers in the sport and will be a highly-coveted fantasy ace in 2025.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher was dominant in his short outing on Saturday and didn't allow a single runner on in his two innings of working during the Pirates' 9-4 win over the New York Yankees. Skenes finishes with a 1.96 ERA on the season with an 11-3 record and a strong case to win the National League Rookie of the Year award. The 22-year-old dazzled all season long and had 22 starts allowing just two ER or fewer. Fantasy managers of all leagues have been thrilled with his performance and he should certainly be a target to hold onto in keeper leagues. In 2025 he may experience some negative regression as his 1.96 ERA is paired with a 2.56 xERA, but his xERA still ranks in the 96th percentile. Should his numbers stay any bit similar to his 2024 season, and if he finishes the 2025 season healthy, he will contend for and likely win the Cy Young award.