I’m in a chat group where people are talking about baseball cards. A friend sent a message, indicating that Paul Skenes rookie card made him think about another great pitcher’s rookie card.
That friend mentioned the price of Paul Skenes rookie card and the price of Stephen Strasburg rookie card. Of course, there are ups and downs in the price of baseball cards. However, while seeing that friend’s message, I began to think about those 2 players’ first seasons in the majors.
In the 2009 MLB draft, with the first overall pick, the Washington Nationals selected Stephen Strasburg. He didn’t spend too much time in the minors. On June 8, 2010, Strasburg made his MLB debut. He tossed 7 innings against the Pirates and threw 14 strikeouts. He only gave up 4 hits and allowed 2 runs. Nonetheless, he didn’t give up any walks in his debut. With this great performance, he earned the first win of his career. In total, he made 12 starts in 2010. He got 5 wins and took 3 losses. He owned a 2.91 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP over 68 innings. He had a great start in his career. Nevertheless, injuries became a serious problem and he underwent Tommy John surgery. He didn’t pitch any games in September 2010.
Last year, the Pirates, with the first overall pick, selected Paul Skenes in the MLB draft. On May 11, 2024, Skenes made his MLB debut. He used 84 pitches and went 4 innings. He struck out 7 batters, but gave up 6 hits and 3 runs (all earned). Skenes’ debut wasn’t a great one. However, he has gradually become a great pitcher in the majors. So far this season, he made 18 starts, posting a 2.23 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP over 109 innings. He already threw 136 strikeouts. Opponents’ batting average against Skenes is .201. Without doubt, it’s hard for opponents to face Paul Skenes. Oh, by the way, Skenes was selected to the All-Star game.
It's reasonable that the friend mentioned Strasburg and Skenes. They were both first overall picks and they are flamethrowers. However, looking at their stats in the first season of their careers, it seems that Skenes’ stats are more impressive.
However, Strasburg spent 13 seasons in the majors and a key thing is that he helped the Nationals win the 2019 World Series. And he was named the 2019 World Series MVP. That’s something that the Nationals fans won’t forget. Injuries truly limit Strasburg’s career but he did contribute a lot to the Nationals. To learn from Strasburg’s case, for Paul Skenes, it’s extremely important to stay healthy. He has a great start in the first season of his career. He will surely have a sensational career if he stays healthy and consistent. And for the Pirates, if they want to win the World Series title, it will be very important to secure a long-term deal with Paul Skenes. We saw Strasburg help the team win the World Series, are we going to see Paul Skenes do that in the Pirates uniform?
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