Updated Pittsburgh Pirates rotation after Paul Skenes call-up

The Pittsburgh Pirates made the move that MLB fans have been clamoring for since Spring Training ended. They have officially promoted Paul Skenes to the majors and did so with an electric hype video.

To say Skenes earned this call-up would be an understatement. He should've already been up. The right-hander posted a 0.99 ERA in his seven starts and 27.1 innings of work for Triple-A Indianapolis. He had 45 strikeouts and just eight walks. He was making a mockery of the minor leagues before the Pirates finally came to their senses.

Skenes joins a Pirates team in desperate need of some energy. He isn't the bat that they need, but he can make an already formidable starting rotation just that much better.

Without further ado, let's take a look at what Pittsburgh's rotation will look like with Skenes in the middle of it.

Updated Pirates rotation after Paul Skenes call-up

Skenes is expected to start Saturday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Since he pitched every sixth day in the minors instead of every fifth day, it's reasonable to expect Pittsburgh to use a six-man rotation, at least for now. Once they believe Skenes is ready for a normal rotation, which could even be now, they'll cut someone. For now, let's go with six starters.

1. Jared Jones
2. Paul Skenes
3. Mitch Keller
4. Martin Perez
5. Quinn Priester
6. Bailey Falter

This Pirates rotation is young, underrated, and extremely talented. They're good now and can be one of the best in the not-too-distant future if Skenes lives up to the hype.

As good as Skenes is, Jared Jones has stolen the show in Pittsburgh. He won a rotation spot out of Spring Training and has run with it ever since. He has a 2.63 ERA in seven starts and 41 innings of work, striking out 52 compared to just five walks. Jones struggled with his command in the minors but has been a strike-throwing machine in the majors. That, combined with his absurd stuff has made him utterly dominant in the bigs.

Mitch Keller has been the de facto ace of this Pirates' staff for a couple of years now. His numbers aren't eye-popping, but he's durable and reliable. He's gone at least five innings in 39 straight starts, which is unheard of for the modern day.

Martin Perez gives this Pirates rotation some veteran presence and he's bounced back nicely from a rough 2023, posting a 3.15 ERA in his first seven starts.

The last spot of this traditional rotation should be between Quinn Priester and Bailey Falter. Priester has only made four starts this season but has a sub-4.00 ERA in those outings. Falter hasn't been bad by any means, posting a 4.34 ERA in seven starts, but his track record is far from impressive. The youth movement has worked nicely in the rotation for Pittsburgh, so rolling with 23-year-old Priester makes sense.

Pittsburgh's lineup leaves a lot to be desired, but their rotation has the ability to carry them many nights. It's impressive what they have now, and it could be even better in the future with more talented prospects in the pipeline.