The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball in Paul Skenes. The flamethrower has put up Cy Young Award-caliber numbers—except in the wins column. His team has made it difficult for him to earn victories, especially with a consistent lack of run support. In his most recent start, he was lights out against the Blue Jays.
“Skenes relied heavily on his four-seamer -- throwing it 51 times in his 96-pitch, six inning outing -- and matched a season-high 10 whiffs with that four-seamer. That set the pace for an eight-strikeout night, and while he would wind up with a no-decision, a couple of Henry Davis swings late helped the Pirates beat the Blue Jays, 5-2,” MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf wrote.
While the Pirates are out of playoff contention this season, the focus is already shifting toward building a competitive team for next year.
“Obviously we’re in a situation we don’t want to be in,” GM Ben Cherington said of the 2025 season. “We need to find ways over the next several days until July 31 to put ourselves in a better situation going forward, to increase the chances of the Pirates being a winning team in 2026 and beyond. That’s our only focus.”
Looking ahead to 2026, the Pirates will likely need a new manager. One potential candidate is the young and promising Skip Schumaker.
“Schumaker only got two years in Miami, though he did lead the team to its first full-season winning record (i.e., not including the 2020 campaign) since 2009, and only its second playoff appearance since winning the World Series in 2003. He won the NL Manager of the Year award for his work in that 2023 season,” Call to the Pen’s Brandon Glick wrote. “He's not the most experienced candidate on this list, and his second season in Miami was disastrous. However, as someone with World Series pedigree as a player and a reputation for working well with young players, he'd be a perfect fit in Pittsburgh as they develop their cache of top prospects.”
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Schumaker’s youth and ability to connect with players could make him an ideal fit for Pittsburgh. His leadership might allow the team to grow and develop together, both on and off the field. If the Pirates can land him, it could be a game-changing move for the franchise.