Paul Skenes has only been a major leaguer since May 2024, but the right-hander is already rewriting expectations for what a young pitcher can achieve.
When the Pittsburgh Pirates called him up to face the Chicago Cubs, fans knew they were witnessing the start of something special.
A year later, Skenes has established himself as one of baseball’s brightest stars, capturing the National League Rookie of the Year award and quickly becoming a fixture in Cy Young conversations.
His first season was dazzling: an 11-3 record, a 1.96 ERA, and 170 strikeouts across 133 innings. The numbers positioned him as one of the league’s elite arms almost immediately. In 2025, Skenes has only strengthened his case. With another All-Star nod under his belt and a sparkling ERA, he is the early favorite to claim the Cy Young Award.
But as his legend grows, so does the debate over where he fits among baseball’s greatest pitchers.
Bob Costas urges perspective in Skenes’ rise
On MLB Network, longtime broadcaster Bob Costas and analyst Brian Kelly recently discussed whether Skenes is already on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Kelly asked if the Pirates ace could be considered one of the all-time greats, and Costas offered praise while calling for caution.
“In his time, he’s a great,” Costas said. “And when we evaluate things historically, whether it’s Bill James doing it or Hall of Fame voters doing it, I guess they’re going to have to compare the best players to the context of their generation.”
Costas illustrated his point by recalling how Jacob deGrom once flirted with Bob Gibson‘s single-season ERA record of 1.12. For Costas, deGrom’s dominance was undeniable, but the difference in eras made direct comparisons impossible.
“Look, a few years ago, when Jacob deGrom appeared to have a chance to approach Bob Gibson‘s single-season ERA record of 1.12, it was relevant,” Costas said. “And that’s saying nothing against deGrom – pitch for pitch, inning for inning, he was the best in the game and matched up with the all-time greats.
“But he could go to the Hall of Fame, if he ever gets there, with fewer than 10 complete games and fewer than five shutouts. Whereas Gibson, in ’68, pitched 13 shutouts in 28 complete games – which is more than the entire league will pitch. That isn’t like, ‘oh, when men were men’ or anything like that. It’s simply to say you can’t compare – these are apples-and-oranges comparisons, and it has to be taken into account.”
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