Let’s rewind to 2014 when Derek Jeter was on a lighter workload with the Yankees, but he decided to play in the All-Star Game. It was understandable, given it was Jeter’s retirement year, but what if a similar situation arose with a rising star, still early in their career?
Take Paul Skenes for example, a sensational young player only in his second MLB season. He’s been selected for the All-Star Game for the second year in a row, but the Pirates are languishing near the bottom of the NL Central with a 38-55 record. Now, what should a team ideally be doing? Fixing their season or showcasing their young talent on the grand stage.
Well, the Pirates seem focused on the latter. And, it has been confirmed by none other than the GM Ben Cherington himself. Enough to trigger the fans.
“Pirates GM Ben Cherington on 937thefan says the Pirates altered Paul Skenes’ pitching calendar to allow him to pitch in next week’s All-Star game. Which explains why he was pulled after 78 pitches Sunday,” North Shore Nine posted on Instagram, quoting the MLB insider Andrew Fillipponi.
Looking at Skenes’ recent outings, it’s clear he’s on a lighter workload. He hasn’t pitched beyond six innings since June 8, and in his last three starts, he’s thrown fewer than 90 pitches—including just 78 against the Mariners on Sunday.
Talking about the performance, despite a 4-7 record over 19 starts, Skenes’ performance has been dominant. He’s delivered a 1.94 ERA across 116 innings, striking out 125 batters while walking only 30.
Now, the fans are wondering where the priority lies for the Pirates. Are they trying to project Skenes in front of the deep-pocketed teams during the All-Star game?
Fans are calling out the Skenes’ pitching schedule
The team is on a losing stretch, and the best performer is getting pulled out. Surely a frustrating time to be a Pirates fan. “Impacting his Cy Young chances as well,” wrote a fan. Skenes is currently the 8th-best pitcher in the 2025 MLB with 125 SOs. So, he is in contention for the 2025 Cy Young Award, but the award is based on the regular season performance and not on a single exhibition game. This fan rightly pointed out that saving Skenes for the All-Star game would eventually impact his Cy Young chances as well. And that’s not a good resume to hold for a generational talent like Skenes.
“Ridiculous. YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME,” wrote another fan. Talk about the top-ranked teams like the Dodgers and the Cubs or the basement dwellers like the Rockies and White Sox, everyone is playing to win. And then comes the Pirates with their different set of objectives.
“They want to maximize his trade value. Duh, it’s the Pirates,” read a comment. Well, this fan reckons there’s an economic reason behind the Pirates’ bizarre workload plan with Skenes. Now, there have been many debates about whether the Pirates are willing to trade Skenes, but the team has outrightly rejected the possibility. However, they are infamous for trading names like Gerrit Cole and Tyler Glasnow in the past. So, no wonder the fans believe they are trying to project Skenes in the All-Star game as trade material?
“More worried about the All-Star game than the team trying to win is actually insane,” a netizen chimed in. Playing in the All-Star game is an achievement and enhances any young player’s profile. But is it more important than a regular divisional game? Not everyone would agree. When the team is struggling to be in contention, reducing the game time of a top performer is surely an insane decision. But again, it reflects the Pirates’ priority to market Skenes over anything else.
“I mean, why on earth would they put a bunch of mileage on his arm if they know there’s no point? If I were them, I’d be tempted to skip him in the rotation this weekend entirely,” one Instagram user added. Now, here’s some support for the Pirates.
Considering the current scenario, the Pirates are very unlikely to get a postseason berth. Moreover, they are ranked 29th in terms of total runs scored (313), which means the sluggers are clearly not complementing an impressive pitching performance by Skenes. So, when Skenes’ individual brilliance is not making any difference to the team’s results, why not keep him rejuvenated for the All-Star game? But hey, is that the right thoughts process?
Let’s now wait to witness Skenes’ brilliance in the All-Star game. If he dominates over there, the Pirates fans will certainly have something to cheer about.
The post Pirates Fans in Uproar After Bizarre Paul Skenes All-Star Pitch Plan Revealed by Manager appeared first on EssentiallySports.
