The Big Lead

Pittsburgh Pirates continue to disappoint ace Paul Skenes despite his brilliance

The second-year MLB starter already has six losses in 2025 despite having an ERA of 2.05 for the Pirates.

By Matt Reed

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field during an MLB game
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field during an MLB game / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Paul Skenes has become one of the biggest names in professional baseball, and when he's not pitching on MLB mounds across the league his face is being shown all over the place because of his superstar girlfriend and former LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the worst teams in MLB, with Skenes' team boasting just 22 wins so far in the 2025 season. To make matters worse, Skenes is further solidifying himself as one of the best pitchers in the league, but the Pirates aren't able to give him proper run support.

The Pirates are already 17 games under .500 to start the year, all while Skenes boasts an ERA of 2.05 and in his most recent outing he went eight innings with one run allowed and three hits given up.

As the rest of the league continues to take notice of Skenes' incredible abilities, the Pirates have made it clear that he isn't available for a trade despite the undoubted interest teams would have and the potential trade package the Pirates would get for a star like him.

The 23 year old is off to a historic start in his young career, joining the likes of Babe Ruth and Dutch Leonard with the lowest ERA for a player at his age that's already pitched over 200 innings. Despite his 4-6 record this season, it's clear that Skenes should firmly be in the NL Cy Young discussion.

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