Baseball history is littered with stud pitchers. Each era has had its greats, from Sandy Koufax to Bob Gibson to Tom Seaver to Nolan Ryan to Greg Maddux, and on into the modern era. Throughout the game's evolution, dominant hurlers have become the protagonists of our baseball reality. That's why, when you look at what Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has done so far in his young career, it really makes you do a double-take.
Even the greats don't necessarily hit the ground running to the degree that Skenes has over his first two big league seasons. On the rare occasions where it has happened in the past, it has blown up to epic proportions that will be remembered throughout history, like the Fernandomania that ensued when Fernando Valenzuela broke through with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981.