Ever since he arrived in MLB, everyone knew Paul Skenes was special, and now, after winning the Cy Young Award, rumors have started swirling about his future with the Pittsburgh Pirates – a franchise where it’s hard to compete for titles, but one he feels he owes respect to because they gave him the chance to start his big-league career.
Paul Skenes is upset about the rumors
It’s a fact that the Pirates haven’t won much with Skenes on the roster, yet the star pitcher remains fully committed to winning in Pittsburgh. That’s why the rumor claiming he has always wanted to play for the New York Yankees frustrated him, although he says he’s already moved past it. He made those comments on The Dan Patrick Show:
“I was frustrated for a couple hours, and then kind of got over it. It is what it is,” Skenes said. “There’s stuff that’s going to come out, both good and bad. Obviously it’s not true.”
“The hardest part of leaving Air Force for me was we had just won a conference championship – the first one in the school’s history. We had built that,” he continued. “It felt like there was unfinished work that needed to be done. That’s how it feels right now. That’s what’s on the horizon for us; we just have to do it. Leaving before that would leave a bad taste in my mouth because there’s work to be done that we’ve got to do.”
The Pittsburgh Pirates have posted a 147-177 record across the two seasons Skenes has been with the team and have finished dead last in the NL Central both years. In his debut season, Skenes won Rookie of the Year, and one year later he took home the Cy Young Award. In 2025 he posted a 1.96 ERA with a 386/74 K/BB ratio. His 1.97 ERA was the best in all of MLB that year.
Heading into 2026, the organization has pledged to improve the roster, so we’ll have to wait and see whether the Pirates actually get better or if Paul Skenes will continue to be stuck without a real chance to compete for big things.
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