...
By Shaun McAvoy
Contributing Sports Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have arguably the best starting pitcher in the entire league with superstar phenom Paul Skenes, but still missed the playoffs with a 71-91 record.
Skenes has been everything the Pirates had hoped for when they drafted him with the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and more. The 23-year-old is a two-time All-Star and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award last season. Skenes was phenomenal this season, striking out 216 batters, the fourth-most in the league, with a blistering 1.97 ERA in 32 starts.
Even with a 10-10 record, Skenes is one of the frontrunners to win the NL Cy Young Award this season. Despite this, Pittsburgh continues to struggle. Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer emphasized that the Pirates' toughest free agency decision will be figuring out which bats the team can acquire to back Skenes.
Read More on MLB
...
"The Pirates and free agency? Yeah, those two things don't usually go together," Rymer wrote Saturday. "Since 1991, they have spent the least in free agency of any team in MLB. There's no point in expecting things to change while Bob Nutting is still around, but you would at least hope that he'll make some kind of effort to put a winning team around Skenes while he has the chance.
"And right now, that means adding bats. First base and DH were the only positions that didn't produce a sub-.700 OPS this year, so any upgrades should be on the table. They might succeed by offering full-time work to platoon hitters, such as Amed Rosario or Dylan Moore."
Pittsburgh had one of the worst offenses in baseball this season, ranking at or near the bottom in nearly every major statistical category, and produced the fewest runs in the league. It's unlikely to expect the Pirates to splurge in free agency, but clearly, they need to make some changes to their roster so they don't waste Skenes' talent.
More MLB: Bo Bichette’s Recovery Stalls, Misses ALCS with Blue Jays
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines