The Pittsburgh Pirates have more than just Paul Skenes to form a loaded young core, mostly made of talented pitchers.
Although the Pittsburgh Pirates have a strong youthful core in the major leagues, starting pitcher Paul Skenes is the center of attention for the entire team.
Big righty was drafted out of LSU a few seasons ago and has dominated ever since. He was quickly fast tracked through the Minor Leagues, and once he arrived in Pittsburgh, the dominance didn’t stop. In fact, it might have gotten even more dominant.
Skenes has thrown close to 200 innings in 33 big-league starts, with a 2.12 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. He is walking about two batters every nine innings while striking out more than ten batters.
However, Skenes is not the only young player with ability in the Pirates’ organization. The Pirates’ youthful core is actually very stacked in the Minor Leagues, despite the (justifiable!) narrative that is now circulating around the team.
Paul Skenes is not the only young player at the Pirates’ core.
When one thinks of the Pirates’ youthful core, Skenes is undoubtedly the first player that springs to mind. However, many fans would immediately mention righty Jared Jones following Skenes. Despite not pitching this season due to an elbow injury, Jones is a Pirates product and will play a significant role in the team’s future.
Another component of the jigsaw is Oneil Cruz. Since being shifted to the outfield on defense, he has shown significant progress. He’s slicing this season. 223/.349/.432 where 16 bases were stolen. His combination of power and speed is one of the greatest in the league.
Bubba Chandler is the team’s best prospect, and he’s dominating in Triple-A this season. Chandler has thrown nearly 40 innings with an ERA of 2.17. He has huge potential and could be in the big leagues in the near future.
Hunter Barco is the third pitcher ranked in the Pirates’ top five prospects. He was incredible at Double-A, throwing 25.2 shutout innings before being elevated to Triple-A. If he continues to dominate, he could be in the big leagues this season, too.
Overall, Skenes is not the only member of the Pirates. In Pittsburgh, this youthful core is rapidly uniting.