Paul Skenes and the Making of a Legend: Is MLB’s Newest Cy Young Winner Already an All-Time Great?
Some players arrive in Major League Baseball. Others erupt into it. And then there’s Paul Skenes — the pitcher who didn’t just burst onto the scene but detonated, reshaping expectations for what a modern ace can be. In the span of just three years, Skenes has built a résumé that other pitchers spend a decade chasing: a national championship at LSU in 2023, the No. 1 overall draft pick that same year, the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, a third-place finish in the Cy Young race as a rookie, and now, in 2025, the title of NL Cy Young Award winner. All before turning 24.
The word “generational” gets thrown around far too often in sports. But with Skenes? It’s starting to feel inadequate. What he’s accomplished in this condensed window isn’t just special — it’s unprecedented.
A Meteoric Rise: Faster Than Any Pitcher Before Him
The scouting report on Skenes coming out of LSU already bordered on mythic. A 6’6”, 250-pound monster of a right-hander who threw 100 mph like it was a warmup toss, commanded a wipeout slider, and paired it with a parachuting changeup. He wasn’t supposed to be polished this early — yet he was. He wasn’t supposed to dominate this quickly — yet he did. From the moment the Pirates selected him first overall, Skenes began a race against history. And he’s winning.
In 2024, his first MLB season, he didn’t merely survive — he immediately became one of the best pitchers in the sport. He posted elite command, generated whiffs at a historic rate for a debut season, and finished *third* in the Cy Young vote. That alone would have been enough to cement him as a future franchise cornerstone.
But 2025 took everything to another level. Skenes didn’t just compete with elite arms — he surpassed them all. The youngest Cy Young winner since Doc Gooden? One of the most dominant sophomore leaps in MLB history? Check and check.
A 2025 Cy Young Season for the Ages
What Skenes did in 2025 wasn’t normal. It wasn’t even great. It was historic. His ERA sat among the league’s best, his strikeout totals were staggering, and his command — the one thing scouts said might take time — arrived instantly. He faced MVP-level bats and carved them up like a surgeon. He pitched like someone who had already mastered the league, already adapted, already figured out hitters long before they could figure out him.
Every outing felt like an event. Every fifth day, the Pirates knew exactly what they were getting: length, dominance, electricity, and a chance to win. For a franchise starving for an identity — Skenes became one. He didn’t just win games; he gave Pittsburgh swagger again.
A Résumé Unlike Anything the Game Has Seen
Let’s list it out plainly: national champion, first overall pick, Rookie of the Year, third in Cy Young voting, Cy Young winner. Not over eight seasons. Not over five. Over *two*. It's absurd. It shouldn’t be possible. Yet here we are, witnessing a pitcher who is accomplishing at warp speed what Hall of Famers built over lifetimes.
The remarkable part? He hasn’t even reached his final form. Most pitchers don’t fully develop their command or pitch mix until 26–28. Skenes is ahead of the curve in every way. The fastball velocity hasn’t faded. The slider keeps improving. The changeup is gaining depth. His mound presence looks like that of a 10-year veteran. If this is his foundation, the peak could redefine the sport.
Is Paul Skenes the Greatest Arm Baseball Has Ever Seen?
It’s the question nobody wants to ask this early — but everyone is thinking: is Paul Skenes on track to be the greatest pitcher ever? The tools say yes. The early résumé says yes. The environment says yes — pitchers have more data, more training, more recovery resources than ever before. And Skenes maximizes all of it.
He throws harder than peak Verlander. He commands better than young Gerrit Cole. His presence mirrors prime Max Scherzer. And his early-career dominance looks eerily like the rise of Dwight Gooden — except Skenes is bigger, stronger, and more refined mechanically.
No pitcher in the modern era has combined elite stuff, maturity, durability, and instant historic results the way Skenes has. If he stays healthy — a big 'if' for any pitcher — the ceiling isn’t just Cooperstown. It’s baseball immortality.
Final Thoughts: A Superstar Still in Chapter One
Paul Skenes has already accomplished enough to fill a mid-career highlight reel. But what makes him remarkable isn’t just what he’s done — it’s how quickly he’s done it. His career has unfolded like a movie montage: championship, No. 1 pick, instant ace, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young winner. And he’s barely begun.
Is he the greatest pitcher to ever grace the game? It’s too early to say definitively. But if you’re betting on anyone to redefine pitching in the next decade — someone who could blend talent, dominance, and legacy into something unprecedented — Paul Skenes is the safest, smartest bet in baseball.
