The hard-throwing El Toro High product caps a remarkable season that included a start in the All-Star Game, while Yankees pitcher Luis Gil edges Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser to take the AL honor.
Hard-throwing Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes capped a remarkable season by winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award on Monday, while pitcher Luis Gil of the New York Yankees edged Baltimore outfielder Colton Cowser to take the American League honor.
Skenes, a product of El Toro High and LSU, didn’t make his big league debut until May 11 but the right-hander was such an immediate sensation he was selected to start the All-Star Game for the NL on July 16. He beat out Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio for the NL rookie prize.
The 22-year-old Skenes, the top pick in the 2023 amateur draft, finished 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts. He struck out 170 and walked 32 in 133 innings. His ERA was the lowest for any rookie with at least 20 starts in the live ball era, dating to 1920, and the lowest in baseball in 2024 among pitchers with at least 130 innings pitched. His 0.95 WHIP was tied for best in the National League. His 170 strikeouts were a franchise rookie record. His 4.3 fWAR ranked 10th among major league pitchers. Skenes was also named one of the three finalists for the NL Cy Young Award along with veterans Chris Sale and Zack Wheeler. That winner will be announced Wednesday.
Skenes received 23 of 30 first-place votes for 136 points while Merrill had seven firsts and 104 points. They were both listed on every ballot. Chourio had 26 points.
“I was super pleased with what happened this year in terms of going out there and competing, but there’s more work to be done for sure,” said Skenes, who planned to celebrate with his girlfriend, LSU gymnast and influencer Livvy Dunne.
Skenes said he’s looking forward to pitching a full season next year.
“I think it starts now. The (offseason) is flying by and I can’t wait for spring training to start already,” he said. “I think the biggest thing is going to be proving it over a full season next year also. If nothing else it’s going to be a challenge and an opportunity to prove it again next year.”
There was little doubt Skenes was a major-league-caliber pitcher out of spring training, but the Pirates chose not to include him on their Opening Day roster because he had logged just 6⅔ innings as a pro in 2023 after pitching 122⅔ innings while leading LSU to the College World Series title. So Skenes was sent to Triple-A for more seasoning and dominated with a limited workload. In seven starts, he posted a 0.99 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 27⅓ innings.
Finally, on May 11, Skenes made his major league debut against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park.
