Mar 11, 2025; Bradenton, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) walks back to the dugout at the end of the third inning against the New York Yankees at LECOM Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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Pirates Make Easy Call on First-Time Opening Day Starter

Paul Skenes, no surprises!

Paul Skenes, 22, will make his first Opening Day start for the Pittsburgh Pirates in an unsurprising and easy decision by the team management. The Pirates will kick off their season on March 27 against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park, marking the second consecutive year they begin the campaign in Miami.

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Skenes will face off against 2022 Cy Young winner Sandy Alcántara in a highly anticipated pitching duel. Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced the decision while reflecting on Skenes’ rapid rise, from a standout performance in last year’s Spring Breakout game to leading Pittsburgh’s rotation in 2025.

The moment Paul Skenes found out he was starting on Opening Day. pic.twitter.com/xLJUjPKpgY
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 15, 2025

Since being drafted first overall in 2023 and signing a record-setting $9.2 million bonus, Skenes has lived up to expectations. He became the first Pirates player to start an All-Star Game since Jerry Reuss in 1975 and was just the fifth rookie ever to earn that honor. His stellar debut season included winning National League Rookie of the Year, earning an All-MLB First Team selection, and finishing third in NL Cy Young voting.

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Now set for his first full MLB season, Skenes will look to establish himself as an ace for years to come, starting with his Opening Day debut against Miami.

Paul Skenes

Pittsburgh Pirates

Mohsin Baldiwala

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Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.