“Don’t let anyone define your limits” – Paul Skenes

Pascal Harvey
“Don’t let anyone define your limits” – Paul Skenes
Credit: MLB.com

Speaking at the 101st New York Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards Gala, 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes captured the audience's attention with powerful words that will resonate for years to come.

The exceptional athlete, who plays for the Pittsburgh Pirates, does not understand the term “can't.” For him, thanks to his attitude and desire to win, anything is possible. With determination and the means to achieve his goals, accomplishing great things is not an illusion.

The man who also won Rookie of the Year in 2024 has no desire to let anyone else dictate his limits.

On that note, he gave former New York Mets star Dwight Gooden a scare last season by threatening his record for the lowest earned run average in a season. In 1985, Gooden, then in his second season in major league baseball, posted a ridiculous 1.53 earned run average and, like Skenes, won the Cy Young Award in the National League.

In 2025, Skenes flirted with Gooden's mark, but finished the season with an ERA of 1.97, leaving Gooden almost speechless. Gooden was also attending the Gala and took the opportunity to praise Skenes' achievements, saying he had been stressed during the season.

Records are meant to be broken, but Gooden wanted his to stand the test of time.

Other pitchers before Gooden had lower earned run averages than him, but the Mets ace has held the record since the mound was lowered in 1969 (the Bob Gibson procedure). Major League Baseball executives made that decision because the St. Louis Cardinals' No. 45 had become almost untouchable and was dominating opposing hitters.

It's hard to predict what Paul Skenes' limits will be, because at 23, only he can set them. Just imagine: his earned run average in his rookie year (1.96) was lower than in the year he was named the league's best pitcher.

Pittsburgh Pirates fans are privileged to be able to watch such an athlete, but how long will they be able to enjoy his presence in Pennsylvania? The question remains unanswered and has been on everyone's lips since he was selected by the team with the first pick in the 2023 draft.

As the consummate professional he is, Skenes tells anyone who will listen that he loves playing in Pittsburgh and will do everything in his power to help his team succeed. Still, the team's management must do everything possible to surround their star pitcher with the right support to put him in the best possible position to succeed. But that's another story.

Paul Skenes is dominant on the mound, as Gooden was early in his career, except that Gooden played for a team that went on to win the World Series in 1986.

It would be surprising if the Pirates celebrated Skenes' third season in the Majors in this way.

PMLB
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  • Julio Rodriguez, best center fielder in the league.

  • David Robertson retires.

  • Tommy John surgery for Logan Evans.

This content was created with the help of AI.

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