Sports
Paul Skenes‘ meteoric rise in Major League Baseball has taken another leap forward, as the Pittsburgh Pirates star has been named to the All-MLB First Team for his performances through the first two months of the 2025 season.
The 22-year-old right-hander, who burst onto the scene in 2024, has already cemented himself as one of the game’s premier pitchers-and his latest accolade only reinforces that status.
Skenes made history as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and quickly lived up to the hype. After an explosive rookie campaign that saw him win National League Rookie of the Year, earn an All-Star start, and finish third in Cy Young voting, the former LSU standout is now being recognized for his continued dominance in year two.
Firmly among the game’s elite in 2025
Pirates vs. D-backs Highlights
MLB.com’s Manny Randhawa selected Skenes as one of five starting pitchers on the All-MLB First Team through May, joining Zack Wheeler, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Max Fried, and Tarik Skubal. Skenes is the lone representative from the Pirates, a reflection of his individual brilliance despite the team’s continued rebuild.
Through 11 starts this season, Skenes has delivered a 2.36 ERA across 68.2 innings pitched. He’s struck out 70 batters while walking just 18, holding opponents to a .190 batting average and maintaining an exceptional 0.95 WHIP, the same mark he posted in 2024.
Yet, despite his dominance on the mound, Skenes owns a 3-5 record, hindered by the Pirates‘ ongoing struggles to generate offense. They’ve scored only 37 total runs during his outings, leaving little margin for error.
Still, the numbers only tell part of the story. Skenes‘ presence on the mound has been described by Randhawa as “the most electric” in the sport, and the young ace continues to dazzle with a powerful fastball, sharp secondary pitches, and a fearless approach that belies his age.
His selection to the All-MLB team adds another layer to an already stellar resume. Skenes‘ rookie season saw him post an 11-3 record with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts in just 133 innings. That success has seamlessly carried into 2025, further validating his status as the face of the Pirates’ franchise and one of MLB’s brightest young stars.
Off the field, Skenes also draws attention thanks to his high-profile relationship with LSU gymnast and influencer Olivia Dunne, who has become a regular presence at Pirates games. The pair, both LSU alumni, have emerged as a rising power couple in American sports, adding to the spotlight surrounding Skenes’ growing profile.
Though the Pirates remain outside the playoff picture, Skenes offers hope for the franchise’s long-term future. As one of the most dominant arms in the National League, his continued development is crucial to Pittsburgh’s ambitions of returning to contention for the first time in over a decade.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
4 Takeaways From the Blue Jays’ ALCS Game 6 Win Over the Mariners
While the National League Championship Series was decided with the minimum, the AL counterpart will go the maximum. With a chance to reach the World Series for the first time in their franchise’s history Sunday night in Toronto, the Mariners were stifled in Game 6 of the ALCS by a 22-year-old rookie starter who had other ideas in a 6-2 Blue Jays win, setting up a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday night. Here are my takeaways: 1. With the season on the line, Jays’ rookie wins the battle The last time Trey Yesavage and Logan Gilbert faced off in Game 2, neither left with an impressive line. Yesavage was unable to baffle Blue Jays hitters with his splitter the way he did against the Yankees in the American League Division Series, while Gilbert looked rusty coming off just two days of rest after being […]
Dak Prescott Is Playing Like an MVP, and the Cowboys Defense Finally Did Its Part
ARLINGTON, Texas - What if your quarterback has an MVP-caliber season, but your defense is so bad you can't even make the playoffs? Call it the Joe Burrow effect.It was one thing when the Cowboys scored 40 and managed only a tie against the Packers, another when they scored 27 and still lost to the Panthers.So, this past week, in defensive meetings, the message was clear and urgent for Dallas players: Don't let an amazing season by Dak Prescott get buried in high-scoring losses."We talk about it all the time: When you've got an offense like this, that's a championship offense, and we don't want to let that go to waste," defensive tackle Kenny Clark said. "I'm just being real. We have to keep improving and keep stepping up, because they're balling. They're putting up points, and you saw today, […]
NFL Week 7 Team of the Week: Jalen Hurts and His Star Receiver Make the Cut
Each week, we’ll offer up the very best of the NFL for a given week, kind of like the fantasy football team you wished you had.We’ll pick one quarterback, two running backs, two receivers and a tight end – OK, this is sounding a lot like a super-hindsight fantasy football team – as a way to look back on the weekend that was.A star running back returns to the team, while the quarterback finally got his passing game going to the point that one of his receivers ended up on this list with him.I hear you already, pointing out that Bo Nix had four total touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone as part of a remarkable comeback win for the Broncos. Hurts delivered his best performance of the season, still mistake-free but remarkably efficient by going 19-for-23 for 326 yards […]
FOX MLB Crew Reacts To Shohei Ohtani’s Monster Game 4: ‘Best Athlete On the Planet’
Shohei Ohtani's performance in Game 4 of the NLCS is already being heralded as the great individual performance in MLB history, postseason or not.But is Ohtani the greatest player the league has ever seen?"You can’t say he’s the greatest player ever, because he has to have a longer career; you have to do this for a long time," Derek Jeter said during Sunday's "MLB on FOX Pregame" show. "We’ve had Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and a lot of players come through this game."But I think you can say he has the greatest toolset of any player that we’ve seen."‘We are witnessing greatness’ 👑 Big Papi, A-Rod, & Derek Jeter on Shohei Ohtani’s LEGENDARY NLCS Ohtani hit three home runs in the Los Angeles Dodgers' series-clinching Game 4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, and he struck out 10 batters in six […]
Players mock, boosters talk and a $55 million decision looms at Florida State
What's happening at Florida State is a perfect illustration of how fluid the idea of job security is in college football's new era. The Seminoles were an early-season darling after a convincing Week 1 win over Alabama and raced off to a 3-0 start -- exactly what coach Mike Norvell needed coming off a 2-10 2024 campaign. Then came an overtime loss to Virginia. Then Miami. Then Pittsburgh. At that point, the heat had turned up to about medium on Norvell -- no immediate firing, but perhaps in danger after this season if all hell broke loose, and if nothing else the lead face of all 2026 hot seat content. But now things are at a scalding temperature. In the early hours of Sunday morning, on the East Coast at least, Florida State lost 20-13 to lowly Stanford, a game […]
Week 7 Fantasy Football Instant Reactions: Travis Hunter looks like Jaguars’ new WR1
Fantasy football analyst Ray Garvin shares his thoughts on Week 7's most noteworthy action.Travis Hunter becomes Jags' WR1 in Week 7This was the arrival we’ve been waiting on.Jacksonville got embarrassed in London; the Rams stomped them out, 35-7. Trevor Lawrence threw the ball 48 times, got sacked seven times and managed just one touchdown. They couldn’t run. The offense was flat. And still, Travis Hunter showed up like a star.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFourteen targets. Eight receptions. 101 yards. First NFL touchdown.That’s what it looks like when talent breaks through.This wasn’t volume for volume’s sake — Hunter earned it. He looked explosive off the line. Created separation with ease. Reeled in tough grabs in traffic. Every time the ball found him, it felt like something could happen. The speed, the confidence, the feel for space — it all clicked.And the role? Career-high 68 offensive […]
Related
4 Takeaways From the Blue Jays’ ALCS Game 6 Win Over the Mariners
While the National League Championship Series was decided with the minimum, the AL counterpart will go the maximum. With a chance to reach the World Series for the first time in their franchise’s history Sunday night in Toronto, the Mariners were stifled in Game 6 of the ALCS by a 22-year-old rookie starter who had other ideas in a 6-2 Blue Jays win, setting up a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday night. Here are my takeaways: 1. With the season on the line, Jays’ rookie wins the battle The last time Trey Yesavage and Logan Gilbert faced off in Game 2, neither left with an impressive line. Yesavage was unable to baffle Blue Jays hitters with his splitter the way he did against the Yankees in the American League Division Series, while Gilbert looked rusty coming off just two days of rest after being […]
Dak Prescott Is Playing Like an MVP, and the Cowboys Defense Finally Did Its Part
ARLINGTON, Texas - What if your quarterback has an MVP-caliber season, but your defense is so bad you can't even make the playoffs? Call it the Joe Burrow effect.It was one thing when the Cowboys scored 40 and managed only a tie against the Packers, another when they scored 27 and still lost to the Panthers.So, this past week, in defensive meetings, the message was clear and urgent for Dallas players: Don't let an amazing season by Dak Prescott get buried in high-scoring losses."We talk about it all the time: When you've got an offense like this, that's a championship offense, and we don't want to let that go to waste," defensive tackle Kenny Clark said. "I'm just being real. We have to keep improving and keep stepping up, because they're balling. They're putting up points, and you saw today, […]
NFL Week 7 Team of the Week: Jalen Hurts and His Star Receiver Make the Cut
Each week, we’ll offer up the very best of the NFL for a given week, kind of like the fantasy football team you wished you had.We’ll pick one quarterback, two running backs, two receivers and a tight end – OK, this is sounding a lot like a super-hindsight fantasy football team – as a way to look back on the weekend that was.A star running back returns to the team, while the quarterback finally got his passing game going to the point that one of his receivers ended up on this list with him.I hear you already, pointing out that Bo Nix had four total touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone as part of a remarkable comeback win for the Broncos. Hurts delivered his best performance of the season, still mistake-free but remarkably efficient by going 19-for-23 for 326 yards […]
FOX MLB Crew Reacts To Shohei Ohtani’s Monster Game 4: ‘Best Athlete On the Planet’
Shohei Ohtani's performance in Game 4 of the NLCS is already being heralded as the great individual performance in MLB history, postseason or not.But is Ohtani the greatest player the league has ever seen?"You can’t say he’s the greatest player ever, because he has to have a longer career; you have to do this for a long time," Derek Jeter said during Sunday's "MLB on FOX Pregame" show. "We’ve had Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and a lot of players come through this game."But I think you can say he has the greatest toolset of any player that we’ve seen."‘We are witnessing greatness’ 👑 Big Papi, A-Rod, & Derek Jeter on Shohei Ohtani’s LEGENDARY NLCS Ohtani hit three home runs in the Los Angeles Dodgers' series-clinching Game 4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, and he struck out 10 batters in six […]
Players mock, boosters talk and a $55 million decision looms at Florida State
What's happening at Florida State is a perfect illustration of how fluid the idea of job security is in college football's new era. The Seminoles were an early-season darling after a convincing Week 1 win over Alabama and raced off to a 3-0 start -- exactly what coach Mike Norvell needed coming off a 2-10 2024 campaign. Then came an overtime loss to Virginia. Then Miami. Then Pittsburgh. At that point, the heat had turned up to about medium on Norvell -- no immediate firing, but perhaps in danger after this season if all hell broke loose, and if nothing else the lead face of all 2026 hot seat content. But now things are at a scalding temperature. In the early hours of Sunday morning, on the East Coast at least, Florida State lost 20-13 to lowly Stanford, a game […]
Week 7 Fantasy Football Instant Reactions: Travis Hunter looks like Jaguars’ new WR1
Fantasy football analyst Ray Garvin shares his thoughts on Week 7's most noteworthy action.Travis Hunter becomes Jags' WR1 in Week 7This was the arrival we’ve been waiting on.Jacksonville got embarrassed in London; the Rams stomped them out, 35-7. Trevor Lawrence threw the ball 48 times, got sacked seven times and managed just one touchdown. They couldn’t run. The offense was flat. And still, Travis Hunter showed up like a star.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFourteen targets. Eight receptions. 101 yards. First NFL touchdown.That’s what it looks like when talent breaks through.This wasn’t volume for volume’s sake — Hunter earned it. He looked explosive off the line. Created separation with ease. Reeled in tough grabs in traffic. Every time the ball found him, it felt like something could happen. The speed, the confidence, the feel for space — it all clicked.And the role? Career-high 68 offensive […]
Be the first to leave a comment