More and more, it feels like Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes makes history every time he touches the mound — and he added to his rapid ascent through the history books yet again on Sunday afternoon.
Skenes threw six scoreless innings in a 6-0 victory over the Diamondbacks, improving to 6-8 with a 1.83 ERA. Although the fact that the Pirates actually provided him with run support is shocking, what isn’t surprising is Skenes owning a sub-2 ERA on the verge of August 1.
Skenes has recorded four scoreless starts in five tries this month, going at least five innings every time. Add in last year’s 1.96 ERA over 133 innings, and you have a 23-year-old with a 1.89 career ERA through 45 games.
According to TSN, Skenes owns the lowest ERA through 45 career games (with at least 60% being starts) since 1920. He’s well ahead of former Marlins ace José Fernández (2.23), and Rangers All-Star Jacob deGrom (2.32) is the only active pitcher among the top five.
It’s too bad, then, that Pirates fans are essentially enjoying Skenes’ dominance on borrowed time.
The Pirates must talk themselves into trading Paul Skenes this offseason
Assuming that Skenes stays healthy and doesn’t collapse over the next two months, he should at least be a Cy Young finalist. The FanDuel Sportsbook currently lists Skenes as the odds-on favorite (-180, so a $100 bet results in a $155.56 payout) to win his first Cy Young.
Paul Skenes, 9th K...
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 27, 2025
And finishes with 6 Shutout Innings for the 2nd consecutive outing. 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/moAFpQqHop
The Pirates made it clear that they wouldn’t trade Skenes before the July 31 deadline, regardless of what other teams offered them. For their sake, the Pirates need to change their stance ahead of the offseason and make Skenes available in trade talks — for the right price, of course.
Pirates fans won’t want to hear that, and Major League Baseball may not like the idea. Skenes is a phenom who draws crowds and has quickly emerged as one of baseball’s most recognizable players. He’s an ace pitcher thriving on a lowly Pirates team destined for yet another losing season.
That’s exactly why the Pirates must trade him, though. Skenes’ value has never been higher, and the universal consensus is that a trade feels inevitable, whether it’s in November 2025 or July 2028. If a team like the Yankees or Dodgers offers multiple top-10 prospects, why wouldn’t the Pirates want to take advantage and attempt to fleece those teams?
Skenes continues making history for a Pirates team that regularly fails to provide him with run support. There’s a realistic chance that Skenes becomes the first starting pitcher to win the Cy Young Award with a losing record, and he may even achieve the feat without reaching 10 wins.
Pirates fans likely know the chances of Skenes staying in Pittsburgh forever are right around the odds of the 78-loss Rockies avoiding 90 losses. At least he’s giving them plenty of positive memories before a possible trade.