Pirates Ace Paul Skenes Warns 2025 Season Wasted Without Improvements

Paul Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates' ace and likely 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner, has emphasized the importance of learning from the team's ongoing struggles during their seventh straight losing season. Despite his dominant pitching performance, leading MLB with a 2.03 ERA, the Pirates' offense ranks last in runs, home runs, and OPS, resulting in insufficient run support and another last-place finish in the NL Central. Skenes expressed that the 2025 season would be wasted if the team fails to understand and address their shortcomings, stressing urgency for improvements within the locker room and organization. The Pirates have experienced a difficult year marked by a poor start, managerial changes, and an offense that has significantly underperformed. Skenes, who is under team control for four more seasons, highlighted the need for the team to become more competitive to retain him long-term. Ultimately, the pitcher is more focused on the Pirates' response and development over the offseason than on his individual accolades.