By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer
Hard-throwing Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes capped a remarkable season by winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award on Monday, while pitcher Luis Gil of the New York Yankees edged Baltimore outfielder Colton Cowser to take the American League honor.
Skenes, a product of El Toro High and LSU, didn’t make his big league debut until May 11 but the right-hander was such an immediate sensation he was selected to start the All-Star Game for the NL on July 16. He beat out Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio for the NL rookie prize.
The 22-year-old Skenes, the top pick in the 2023 amateur draft, finished 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts. He struck out 170 and walked 32 in 133 innings. His ERA was the lowest for any rookie with at least 20 starts in the live ball era, dating to 1920, and the lowest in baseball in 2024 among pitchers with at least 130 innings pitched. His 0.95 WHIP was tied for best in the National League. His 170 strikeouts were a franchise rookie record. His 4.3 fWAR ranked 10th among major league pitchers. Skenes was also named one of the three finalists for the NL Cy Young Award along with veterans Chris Sale and Zack Wheeler. That winner will be announced Wednesday.
Skenes received 23 of 30 first-place votes for 136 points while Merrill had seven firsts and 104 points. They were both listed on every ballot. Chourio had 26 points.
“I was super pleased with what happened this year in terms of going out there and competing, but there’s more work to be done for sure,” said Skenes, who planned to celebrate with his girlfriend, LSU gymnast and influencer Livvy Dunne.
Skenes said he’s looking forward to pitching a full season next year.
“I think it starts now. The (offseason) is flying by and I can’t wait for spring training to start already,” he said. “I think the biggest thing is going to be proving it over a full season next year also. If nothing else it’s going to be a challenge and an opportunity to prove it again next year.”
There was little doubt Skenes was a major-league-caliber pitcher out of spring training, but the Pirates chose not to include him on their Opening Day roster because he had logged just 6⅔ innings as a pro in 2023 after pitching 122⅔ innings while leading LSU to the College World Series title. So Skenes was sent to Triple-A for more seasoning and dominated with a limited workload. In seven starts, he posted a 0.99 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 27⅓ innings.
Finally, on May 11, Skenes made his major league debut against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. He became the quickest No. 1 overall pick to reach the majors in 35 years, doing so in 307 days. He allowed three runs with seven strikeouts over four innings. He allowed three or more earned runs just twice more over his final 22 starts.
His first 11 outings were so dominant (1.90 ERA, 89 strikeouts to 13 walks in 66⅓ innings and seven no-hit innings in his final start of the first half against the Milwaukee Brewers) that he was named the starting pitcher for the NL All-Star team, setting the stage for an electric first inning in Arlington, Texas, against four of the sport’s best hitters. Skenes, the fifth rookie to start the Midsummer Classic, threw 16 pitches to Steven Kwan, Gunnar Henderson, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. He walked Soto in an otherwise clean inning. He touched 100 mph and showcased his splinker – a splitter-sinker hybrid.
He pitched into the ninth inning for the first time as a pro in his first start out of the All-Star Game, taking a hard-luck 2-1 loss against the St. Louis Cardinals after giving up a run in the ninth. But Pittsburgh, despite adding at the trade deadline, fell out of the wild-card race down the stretch.
The Pirates, cautious to not overwork Skenes, had him pitch on extra rest – either five or six days – in all of his starts. But he logged at least six innings in 16 of his 23 starts. He threw at least 100 pitches in nine of them. He closed his campaign strong, allowing just two runs in five September starts and tossing two perfect innings against New York at Yankee Stadium on the penultimate day of the regular season.
Skenes limited opposing hitters to a combined .198 batting average, the lowest against a Pirates starting pitcher in team history among those who made at least 16 starts. Skenes threw 100 pitches of at least 100 mph, the most in MLB and well ahead of the 46 thrown by Angels starter José Soriano. Skenes is the second Pirates player to win the rookie award after Jason Bay in 2004.
While appearing on MLB Network on Monday night, Skenes discussed his impressive season and his latest accomplishment.
“It’s cool,” Skenes said. “I think the biggest thing is just stay present through it all. That’s helped me this year. I’ve surrounded myself with good people, I think, and I’ve been super lucky to experience all the things that I have.
“So, just going to try to continue to stay present and enjoy the ride.”
Because he finished among the top two in voting, Skenes will be credited with a full year of major league service instead of 142 days, under the collective bargaining agreement. If he isn’t sent back to the minor leagues, he would become eligible for free agency after the 2029 season.
“Today is a very exciting day for Paul, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and for me,” Pirates owner Bob Nutting added in a statement. “While expectations for Paul were certainly high, he exceeded what most thought was possible during his first Major League season. He brought tremendous competitiveness and talent to our pitching staff. We’re extremely proud of all that Paul has accomplished during his historic rookie season.
“I look forward to the great future ahead for him and our organization.”
Merrill, 21, came on strong during the second half, igniting a debate over whether an everyday player deserved the award more than a starting pitcher.
Merrill, a shortstop in the minors through last season, was the Padres’ starting center fielder on Opening Day at just 20 years old. He finished the season with a .292/.326/.500 slash line, 24 home runs, 90 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in 156 games while playing above-average defense. His 5.3 fWAR led all rookies.
He was picked for the All-Star team and helped the Padres reach the playoffs, where they swept Atlanta in a Wild Card Series and then lost a Division Series to the eventual World Series champion Dodgers.
Chourio was a 20-20 player at age 20. He signed an $82 million extension last offseason before making his major league debut and, after a slow start, lived up to the investment. He went on a tear after carrying a .201 batting average and .575 OPS through June 1, batting .305 with 16 home runs and an .888 OPS over his final 97 games. He finished with a .275 average in 148 games with 21 home runs, 29 doubles, four triples and 79 RBIs. He stole 22 bases and helped the Brewers win the NL Central.
Gil, who moved into the Yankees’ rotation after ace Gerrit Cole was injured in spring training, received 15 first-place votes for 106 points. Cowser got 13 firsts for 101 points, and Yankees catcher Austin Wells received 17 points.
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The only closer election since 1980 was when Kansas City Royals shortstop Angel Berroa beat Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui 88-84 in 2003.
Gil went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 29 starts for the AL champions. The right-hander had 171 strikeouts in 151⅔ innings.
“It means so much to me. I’m so happy about being able to win this award,” Gil said through an interpreter. “Everybody in my corner, they’re so happy for me and so proud. I’m also proud of the opportunity that was given to me by the team. It turned out to be a good season for me, a great experience.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Gil “worked so hard to put himself in a strong position heading into spring training after coming back from Tommy John surgery. Without a guarantee of a major league spot, he absolutely kicked in the door this spring and went on to have a phenomenal rookie season.”
It’s the first time the rookie awards went to two pitchers since 2011, when Tampa Bay starter Jeremy Hellickson and Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel won.
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