Optimism has taken over the Pittsburgh Pirates’ camp, and the man responsible is none other than their star pitcher, Paul Skenes. With the 2026 season just around the corner, the right-hander has made it clear that he is not coming to manage his workload or protect his arm under innings restrictions; his goal is absolute domination from Opening Day to the final out, hoping to reach the World Series.
Skenes has adopted a mentality of going out to win everything or die in the battle without leaving anything in reserve. In a message that is already echoing through the offices of his division rivals, the Pittsburgh ace revealed his ambitious work plan for this cycle:
“I plan to throw seven months of baseball starting on March 26. I don’t know how many innings are played in the postseason, but the plan is to be strengthened and prepared for that,” said the player, whose goal is to be in every possible game.
This statement not only shows his physical confidence, but also sets a collective goal: the Pirates are not thinking only about the summer, but about a deep October run all the way to the World Series, remarks that have pleased old-school analysts.
“This kid is a throwback to the days of Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens… power pitchers who aren’t afraid to go out and pitch,” it was said on the MLB Tonight program.
The mental factor: The Pirates against themselves
Beyond his fastball and his splinker, Skenes believes Pittsburgh’s success in 2026 will depend exclusively on the group’s mindset. For the pitcher, the talent on the roster is enough to compete with any powerhouse in the league, as long as they maintain discipline and cohesion.
“There’s nothing stopping us from being – call it whatever you want – the best group we can be, the best group in baseball, whatever. The only thing that’s going to get in our way is ourselves.”
The atmosphere in the clubhouse appears to be the ideal fuel for these aspirations. Skenes highlighted the team’s chemistry at the start of activities, noting that the group’s unity has been palpable since the first workout: “That’s always good to see. We had a good group this weekend, but the first day is always fun. So it’s nice to be back.”
A team hoping not to lose a player in the World Classic
The Pittsburgh Pirates will contribute eight players from their Major League roster for the start of the World Baseball Classic on March 5. The reigning National League Cy Young winner, Paul Skenes, will lead the United States rotation after a historic 2025 season with a 1.97 ERA.
Alongside him, young talent Oneil Cruz will seek consolidation with the Dominican Republic, a team that will also feature relievers Dennis Santana – coming off a brilliant season as a closer – and Yohan RamÃrez, as well as newly signed left-hander Gregory Soto.
The team’s representation extends to Mexico with infielder Nick Gonzales, to Israel with solid hitter Spencer Horwitz (118 OPS+), and to Italy with 26-year-old right-hander Kyle Nicolas.
The team hopes that all of them will return in perfect condition to fulfill Skenes’ wishes and fight from Opening Day all the way to the World Series.
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