Apr 14, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) delivers a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes will take the mound for a marquee Saturday night matchup against the Cleveland Guardians that doubles as his first career bobblehead giveaway at PNC Park. The highly anticipated promotion, featuring the flame-throwing right-hander in his signature delivery features a unique baseball card style packaging, and will be awarded to the first 20,000 fans through the gates, which open at 2:30 PM ET for the 4:05 PM game.
Paul Skenes is 1/1.
Good thing there are 20,000 of his bobblehead. pic.twitter.com/AOGAM7J82u
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 6, 2025
The timing couldn’t be better for Pirates fans, as Skenes enters the start riding a dominant stretch in his first full MLB season. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick has compiled a 2.96 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 24.1 innings across four starts, showcasing the triple-digit fastball and wipeout splinker that have made him must-see viewing every fifth day.
His FIP, at 1.37, currently ranks third among all MLB starters, trailing only Toronto’s Chris Bassitt and Kansas City’s Cole Ragans. FIP, which stands for Fielding Independent Pitching, is a common metric used to assess a pitcher’s success separate from his team’s defensive performance. Skenes’ consistent ability to strike out batters, as well as not walk them, means he should appear at the top of the FIP leaderboard all season long.
Paul Skenes, Frisbee 82mph Sweeper. 🥏
20 inches of horizontal break pic.twitter.com/FC6gD9kGL2
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 14, 2025
This interleague matchup presents an intriguing challenge, as Skenes has never faced the Guardians. Cleveland (9-9) comes to town after losing a series in Baltimore against the Orioles. The Pirates (7-12) will look to capitalize on another home series as they attempt to climb out of the cellar of the NL Central division.
The bobblehead giveaway marks Skenes’ official arrival as the face of the franchise, joining the pantheon of iconic Pirates promotional items honoring Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Andrew McCutchen. With the team expecting a sellout crowd, Saturday’s game could provide another signature moment in the young ace’s meteoric rise.
Published Apr 18, 2025|Modified Apr 18, 2025
