Paul Skenes will take the ball for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day, confirming what everyone already expected.
Rather than just making a standard announcement, the Pirates decided to capture the moment on video. The team shared footage Saturday of Skenes sitting down in manager Derek Shelton’s office for what appeared to be a routine meeting.
After some casual conversation, Shelton cuts to the chase: “Well, you get your first Opening Day start.”
Skenes, looking genuinely touched, simply responds “Wow” before giving his manager a hug.
Shelton ends the exchange with a straightforward goal: “Let’s start off 1-0.”
The moment Paul Skenes found out he was starting on Opening Day. pic.twitter.com/xLJUjPKpgY
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 15, 2025
The announcement comes after Skenes dominated in his rookie season, earning both All-Star honors and the NL Rookie of the Year award. The 23-year-old posted a 2.69 ERA while striking out 10.6 batters per nine innings, quickly establishing himself as the Pirates’ ace.
Skenes will anchor a rotation that includes Mitch Keller, Jared Jones, Andrew Heaney and Bailey Falter. It’s a solid group, but there’s no question who’s the headliner.
The theatrical nature of the announcement didn’t go unnoticed around baseball. The Athletic’s Sam Blum noted on X, “This meeting could have been an email.” Other observers pointed out that Skenes likely knew this was coming, with one calling it “the most unnecessary meeting in the history of baseball.”
But for Pirates fans, any content featuring their franchise cornerstone is welcome. Skenes has quickly become the face of a rebuilding organization that’s hoping to take a step forward this season.
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