The Pittsburgh Pirates brought Paul Skenes along slowly. The star rookie pitcher now understands why
Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes says the team's plan to bring him along slowly worked almost perfectly
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes didn't love the plan the Pittsburgh Pirates laid out for him in the spring, the one designed to bring the most talented pitching prospect in a generation along slowly and protect the right arm on which so much relies.
Looking back after a dazzling season in which the 22-year-old rookie somehow surpassed even the most outsized expectations — starting the All-Star Game, flirting with the occasional no-hitter, holding his own against the best in the game and making the Pirates matter in a way they haven't in nearly a decade — Skenes admits the decision to have him begin his first full professional season in Triple-A so he could build his endurance up gradually was the right call.
“I don’t know if there can be a perfect plan, but it was just about perfectly put together,” Skenes said Wednesday.
And the best part? It's almost over.
