Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes on Monday capped a remarkable season by winning National League (NL) Rookie of the Year by a wide margin, while the New York Yankees pitcher picked up the American League award.
Skenes was the heralded fireballer who equaled the hype, to the point he started the All-Star Game just two months after making his big league debut, while Gil was an afterthought for the Yankees, earning a spot in their rotation only when ace Gerrit Cole was injured in spring training.
Skenes won by a wide margin over San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio. Gil edged Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser to take the American League honor, with Yankees catcher Austin Wells finishing third.
Photo: AP
It is the first time the rookie awards went to two pitchers since 2011, when Tampa Bay Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson and Atlanta Braves closer Craig Kimbrel won.
“I was super pleased with what happened this year in terms of going out there and competing, but there’s more work to be done for sure,” said Skenes, who planned to celebrate with his girlfriend, Louisiana State University gymnast and influencer Livvy Dunne.
The Pirates and their fans were excited from the moment the team selected Skenes with the top pick in last year’s amateur draft. He did not make his major league debut until May 11, but the right-hander was such an immediate sensation he was selected to start the All-Star Game for the NL on July 16.
The 22-year-old Skenes finished 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts. He struck out 170 and walked 32 in 133 innings.
He said he is looking forward to pitching a full season next year.
“I think it starts now. The post-season is flying by and I can’t wait for spring training to start already,” Skenes said. “I think the biggest thing is going to be proving it over a full season next year also.”
Skenes received 23 first-place votes and finished with 136 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, while Merrill had seven firsts and 104 points. They were listed on all entries.
Skenes, who is also a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award, is the second Pirates player to win the award after Jason Bay in 2004.
Gil received 15 first-place votes and 106 points, while Cowser got 13 firsts and 101 points.
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is considering reducing its pitch clock by two seconds to help players better adjust to the rules applied at the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The proposal aims to shorten the pitch timer from 25 seconds to 23 seconds with the bases empty, and from 20 seconds to 18 seconds with runners on base. Currently, the WBC mandates that pitchers deliver a pitch every 18 seconds with the bases empty and 15 seconds with runners on base. The issue was raised during a pre-season CPBL managers’ meeting on Tuesday by Rakuten Monkeys bench and batting
‘SETTING THE TONE’: Donovan Mitchell said that their determination to dominate had nothing to do with past results, but was about a potential post-season clash The Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday boosted their NBA-best record with a 142-105 romp past the New York Knicks, tightening their grip on the Eastern Conference lead with an all-around dominant display. Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points to lead six Cavs players to score in double figures, connecting on five of seven three-pointers as Cleveland drilled 19 from beyond the arc. “I think the biggest thing was just try to set the tone early,” Mitchell said, adding that the determination to dominate had nothing to do with the Knicks’ first-round playoff win over the Cavs two seasons ago and everything to do with
BELGIANS ADVANCE: Club Brugge gave Atalanta a lesson in efficiency, as Gian Piero Gasperini’s team had 29 efforts at goal, compared with seven from the visitors Seldom has a player’s sending off had such an influence on a game. AC Milan was to left rue Theo Hernandez’s second yellow card — for diving — as Feyenoord advanced to the UEFA Champions League last 16 at the former European champion’s expense with a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their playoff on Tuesday, giving the Dutch team a 2-1 win on aggregate. Bayern Munich, Club Brugge and Benfica also won their playoffs, eliminating Celtic, UEFA Europa League winner Atalanta BC and French team AS Monaco respectively. “In soccer everything changes in a second,” said Milan forward
RSS