Pittsburgh Pirates rookie standout, Paul Skenes is not only impressing everyone with his performance but also positioning himself for the 2024 NL Cy Young Award. Known for his fastball and sharp-breaking pitches, Skenes is now ranked among the top rookie pitchers.
During an appearance on MLB Showdown, MLB insider, Jon Heyman shared his belief that Skenes is a strong contender for the 2024 NL Cy Young Award. Heyman pointed out factors that distinguish Skenes from others and pointed to the Pirates rookie as a standout pitcher who is leading in statistical categories such as WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched).
One crucial mark for the Cy Young Award is the innings pitched. Although there are qualification requirements to be met, Heyman feels confident that Skenes’ projected 154 innings, which are close enough to make him eligible, given his performance on the field.
The New York Post writer said:
“He’s only going to be eight innings short and he’s clearly been the best pitcher in the league and I see no reason why that’s not going to continue.”
“If I voted now, I’d vote [Paul Skenes] for Cy Young and I know he’s getting better so I think he’s going to win.”@JonHeyman and @Anthony_Recker go head-to-head on whether they believe Skenes will go on to win this year’s NL Cy Young Award #MLBNowShowdown pic.twitter.com/S8rcr9feo1
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) August 2, 2024
Heyman also hailed Skenes for his improvement in pitching quality and strikeouts per nine innings. With stats showing Skenes striking out batters per nine innings than almost anyone else except Garrett Crochet, Heyman’s support for Skenes’s candidacy remains strong.
Moreover, Skenes’ mastery of the game is evident through his control as seen in his WHIP and ability to limit hits and walks, which further increases his overall value.
Apart from numbers, Heyman praises Skenes for being “the underdog” and is confident that Skenes will maintain his performance. which will make him the frontrunner for the NL Cy Young Award.
Looking back at history, Fernando Valenzuela made headlines in 1981 as the only rookie ever to clinch the Cy Young Award and Paul Skenes aims to follow in those footsteps. However, he will certainly face tough competition from established pitchers, who are also eyeing the prestigious accolade.
Who are Skenes’ main rivals for the NL Cy Young?
After Jon Heyman wrapped up his answer for his pick on the 2024 NL Cy Young Award, MLB Network analyst, Anthony Recker mentioned some of the contenders for the honor alongside Skenes:
Chris Sale, who leads in Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) and is on track to hit 200 innings and 20 wins is a key rival.
Zack Wheeler‘s consistent quality outings and ability to go into games keep him in the running.
Another strong candidate is Hunter Greene. All thanks to his speed and high strikeout rate.
Coming to Skenes’ challenges, he has a low innings count which currently stands at 107 with historical data suggesting a minimum of 167 innings for Cy Young winners.
Plus, he is prone to give up home runs due to his aggressive style of pitching-something which can increase his ERA above 2.00. Therefore, these two drawbacks can hamper his chances of winning the award.
The burning question is whether Skenes can sustain his performance while increasing his innings thrown. This remains important in determining his chances for the 2024 NL Cy Young Award.
