Paul Skenes has been one of the best pitchers MLB has produced in recent years, and there is no competition. But when you look at the whole league, we have players who have been doing what Skenes has been for many years. And that is enough of ex-Mets manager to snub Paul Skenes.
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In a recent video, ex-Mets manager Jim Bowden talked about Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal. And according to him, Skubal is above Skenes in his ranking.
“I had Skubal first,” said Bowden. “It’s hard to go away from him just because of what he’s done the last couple of seasons… Skenes has got to push him for sure… the righty deserves to be up there… in that number two spot for me.”
Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes have been two of MLB’s most dominant pitchers over the past two seasons. Both won Cy Young Awards in 2025, with Skubal taking the American League and Skenes the National League.
Skubal posted a 2.21 ERA with 241 strikeouts across 195.1 innings during the 2025 season. Skenes followed with a 1.97 ERA and 216 strikeouts over 187.2 innings for Pittsburgh. No other starters matched their combination of run prevention, strikeouts, and workload during that two-year stretch.
Their dominance becomes clearer when comparing consistency and achievements across regular seasons and league recognition.
Tarik Skubal recorded at least 228 strikeouts in both 2024 and 2025, finishing among AL leaders each year. Skenes finished third in NL Cy Young voting as a rookie in 2024, then won unanimously in 2025.
Skubal earned 26 of 30 first-place Cy Young votes in 2025, showing near-universal support. Both pitchers also started the 2025 All-Star Game, reflecting league-wide acknowledgment of sustained excellence.
Skubal vs. Skenes
Who’s your NUMBER ONE❓
📻 Power Alley with @Mike_Ferrin @JimDuquetteGM and @JimBowdenGM
🔗 https://t.co/fGPbvbj8w4 pic.twitter.com/YbeySb4DcG— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 2, 2026
According to Jim Bowden’s rankings, Skubal and Skenes stand clearly above every other starting pitcher. Bowden placed them in a tier of their own, citing ERA, innings, strikeouts, and recent awards.
No other pitcher over the last two seasons combined Cy Young results with elite durability like these two. Data models such as MLB Network’s Shredder also ranked Skubal first and Skenes second overall.
That separation reinforces how narrow the competition has been at the top of MLB pitching.
When Bowden compared only Skubal and Skenes, Skubal earned the top spot based on postseason impact.
Skubal helped Detroit reach the postseason in consecutive years, starting multiple playoff games under pressure. In the 2025 playoffs, Skubal allowed a 1.74 ERA across three starts, anchoring Detroit’s rotation.
Paul Skenes has not yet pitched in extended postseason play due to Pittsburgh missing October baseball. That absence limits direct evaluation of his performance in the sport’s highest-leverage environments.
Skubal’s resume reflects production when the stakes increased, while Skenes’ excellence has remained confined to regular seasons. Skubal delivered a 13-strikeout complete-game shutout in May 2025, ending at 102.6 mph. Skenes, meanwhile, has never posted an ERA above 1.97 through his first two MLB seasons. Both pitchers have won Cy Young Awards before age 30, a rare historical accomplishment.
The difference, for now, remains postseason proof, which keeps Skubal narrowly ahead in Bowden’s rankings.
If the Pirates want to keep Paul Skenes and make the postseason, they will need to act
Paul Skenes is quietly putting up numbers that would make any ace in baseball take notice, yet the spotlight barely hits him. If the Pirates want their postseason push to mean more than empty stats, they’ll need to surround him with talent capable of turning dominance into wins.
Paul Skenes posted a 1.97 ERA with 216 strikeouts in 187.2 innings in 2025, yet his record sat at 10‑10 because his team could not score enough runs.
The Pirates missed out on Eugenio Suárez, who hit 49 home runs and drove in 118 runs last season, leaving a hole where run production should have been. If Pittsburgh wants those pitching feats to matter in October, they must add hitters, not just watch brilliant starts go unused.
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Marcell Ozuna, a three‑time All‑Star with 100+ homers since 2023, stands out as a bat still capable of impact power. In 145 games last year he had 21 homers, 68 RBI, .355 OBP and 94 walks, giving him value beyond home runs.
That kind of plate discipline and contact would meaningfully improve the run support Skenes lacked in many starts, where Pittsburgh often scored two or fewer runs.
The gamble makes sense on paper because the cost to add Ozuna should be short‑term and affordable, and he fills the Pirates’ biggest offensive weakness. Giving Skenes consistent run support turns dominant pitching into wins and a real postseason push.
Add that bat now, and the big picture becomes clear: protect your ace while finally building around him.