Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Glavine touts Pirates’ Paul Skenes as must-see pitcher

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes has taken the baseball world by storm since his MLB debut.

During a recent appearance on OutKick’s “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich,” baseball Hall of Famer Tom Glavine spoke about what he has seen from the Pirates’ young star.

“(Skenes) obviously burst onto the scene. Had a ton of success, and for obvious reasons. The stuff is there. There is not much to not like about him, if anything,” Glavine said. 

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“He is one of those guys that, you turn on the TV, and if he’s pitching you sit down and watch because it’s usually pretty good.”

After selecting Skenes with the first overall pick in the 2023 draft out of LSU, the Pirates called the 22-year-old up to the big leagues in May 2024. Since his MLB debut, Skenes has been one of the best pitchers in the National League. 

In 20 starts, the rookie phenom has gone 10-2 with a 2.10 ERA while striking out 151 batters in 120 innings.

In Skenes’ most recent start, he broke the Pirates’ franchise record for most strikeouts in a season. The previous record was 142, set in 1900. 

For Skenes to maintain his success, he needs to stay ahead of the curve, Glavine said.

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Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes before a game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park.  (Charles LeClaire/USA Today Sports)

“But the thing with baseball that so many guys, myself included, have experienced is you have to stay ahead of the curve a little bit. There was an unknown factor, so to speak, with Paul when he came up. I mean, you can watch all the video you want on guys, but you don’t know what guys are like until you step in the batter’s box and you start to see their pitches and see how they react in the batter’s box,” Glavine said. 

“Like anything, once teams start to get a little bit of a book on you, once guys have started to see you a little bit, the familiarity takes over a little, and you have to make some subtle changes. I’m not saying he …  I’m not sitting here saying, ‘Oh my God, he’s gonna have to do a lot of things.’ You know, he doesn’t have to do much of anything.

“Everybody has to make adjustments, right? Your stuff is only going to carry you so far, and stuff is great. And it’s a nice asset to have, but it’s only going to carry you so far.”

Glavine would know what it takes to stay ahead of the curve.

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Hall of Famer Tom Glavine is introduced during the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y.  (Gregory Fisher/USA Today Sports)

The two-time Cy Young award winner had a career 3.54 ERA in his 22 years in the majors, recording 305 wins. 

The 10-time All-Star was a key part of the Atlanta Braves’ World Series championship in 1995, winning World Series MVP. 

Skenes’ performance has vaulted him into National League Rookie of the Year conversations.

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