Paul Skenes gets Opening Day nod for Pirates

To the surprise of no one, Paul Skenes has been named the Opening Day starter. And although this may seem ho-hum to most fans, it’s essential to understand the significance of what Skenes has done in a full calendar year.

As Manager Derek Shelton brought Skenes into his office in Bradenton to deliver him the news, they observed the Spring Breakout game.

“It’s hard to believe, a year ago, that you were pitching in this,” Shelton said.

At that time, there were high expectations for Skenes to come to the big league club soon and perform well immediately. But it’s easier said than done to become touted as the savior of the franchise and one of the faces of baseball at age 22 - less than a year out…