You rarely see a 21-year-old starting pitcher dominate in the major leagues, but that was the case with Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Skenes. He made his MLB debut last season and was immediately one of the best pitchers in baseball. But where does he rank among the best pitchers in baseball?
Paul Skenes Ranks 3rd Among All Starters, per Buster Oleny
Buster Olney of ESPN ranked Skenes as the third-best starting pitcher in baseball heading into 2025. He ranked behind only Zach Wheeler and Tarik Skubal. Skenes is coming off a season where he threw 133.0 innings with 170 strikeouts, with a 1.96 ERA. He finished third in NL Cy Young voting and won the NL Rookie of the Year.
Not to mention, Skenes set the Pirates franchise record for strikeouts in a season by a rookie, along with having the lowest ERA by a rookie with at least 20 starts in the live ball era. Skenes had a 33.1% strikeout rate last season, the best amongst NL pitchers with at least 130 innings pitched. His second season will likely not be as easy as his first as hitters adjust to his arsenal, but he should still be one of the best pitchers in baseball.
Is Skenes the Cy Young Favorite?
It is hard to argue with Skenes’ ranking because not many pitchers have the pitch repertoire of the young righty. His fastball touches 100 mph, and his offspeed stuff includes a “splinker” that is almost unhittable. Skenes carried an 11.5 K/9 last season, which means he is a sure bet for 200+ strikeouts if he can stay healthy. Skenes has the best odds to win the NL Cy Young this year at +300 on DK Sportsbook.
NEW: Paul Skenes among betting favorites for wins, strikeouts in 2025 👀👀
The Former Tiger's Odds for Most Strikeouts and Wins in the MLB…
1️⃣st Overall for K's
3️⃣rd Overall for WinsMore Here: https://t.co/NntZo8zC0q pic.twitter.com/NcWaSBPWTO
— 104.5 ESPN (@1045espn) February 28, 2025
The sportsbook thinks Skenes will pick up right where he left off last season. He is also the favorite to lead the MLB in strikeouts with +400 odds. It will be interesting to see if Skenes is enough to help vault the Pirates back into contention. Last season, they won 76 games, with Skenes only making 23 starts. He should be set for a full workload in 2025 and could be in for a historic season.
READ MORE: Cy Young Betting Advice — Pablo López Presents Extreme Value for 2025
The first chance we will get to see Skenes pitch in 2025 will be on Opening Day. The Pirates travel to Miami to face the Marlins in what should be an excellent matchup for Skenes. It would be foolish to expect anything but dominance from Skenes this season.
