Paul Skenes Is Living the Dream - Just Not in Pittsburgh
For a few weeks next spring, Paul Skenes is going to be exactly where every Pittsburgh Pirates fan wants him to be - front and center on a national stage, surrounded by elite talent, pitching in games that actually matter. He’s not just suiting up for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic - he’s leading the charge. And he’s doing it alongside some of the best arms in the game.
Tarik Skubal. David Bednar. And Paul Skenes.
That’s not just a rotation - that’s a statement. A power trio built for prime time.
Skubal, a two-time AL Cy Young winner and arguably the best lefty in the game, brings the hardware and the swagger. Bednar, the former Pirates All-Star turned Yankees closer, brings late-inning fire.
And Skenes? He brings the future - a 100-mph fastball, a bulldog mentality, and the kind of presence that makes you stop flipping channels.
It’s a dream scenario. Just not for Pirates fans.
Because while Skenes will get to spend March pitching in front of packed stadiums, with real expectations and a lineup of stars behind him, he’ll eventually head back to Pittsburgh - where the lights are dimmer, the stakes are lower, and the help is… well, still a work in progress.
The Rotation That Could Be
Team USA’s projected WBC rotation looks like something straight out of October:
- March 6: Paul Skenes vs. Brazil
- March 7: Tarik Skubal vs. Great Britain
- March 9: Logan Webb vs. Mexico
- March 10: Joe Ryan vs. Italy
- March 13: Skenes again in the quarterfinals
- March 15: Skubal in the semifinal
- March 17: Webb in the championship
That’s a staff built to win it all. And Skenes isn’t just along for the ride - he’s leading it off.
That’s how highly regarded he already is, before he’s even thrown a full season in the majors. It’s the kind of trust you don’t get unless you’re the real deal.
And make no mistake - he is.
Skubal and Skenes: Co-Aces on the Global Stage
This WBC run is going to show the baseball world what happens when you give a talent like Skenes a real supporting cast. Skubal is the perfect co-ace - a guy who knows what it’s like to carry a franchise's hopes, but also what it feels like when that franchise actually builds around you.
Detroit didn’t just develop Skubal - they embraced him. They gave him the ball, the narrative, the spotlight. And he delivered.
Skenes has that same kind of ceiling - maybe even higher. His fastball explodes.
His slider bites. His presence is undeniable.
But back in Pittsburgh, he’s still a one-man show. The talent is there.
The help? Not so much.
The Bednar What-If
And then there’s David Bednar. This one stings.
The Pittsburgh kid. The All-Star closer.
The guy who wanted to be part of the solution. Now?
He’s closing games for the Yankees and suiting up for Team USA.
Watching Skenes and Bednar share a dugout in red, white, and blue is going to be a surreal experience for Pirates fans. Because it’s impossible not to imagine an alternate timeline - one where Skenes goes seven strong, hands the ball to Bednar in the ninth, and the crowd at PNC Park erupts as he shuts the door.
But that version of the Pirates? It’s not reality. It’s a highlight reel that never got made.
Bednar’s exit wasn’t just another trade. It was a signal.
Another moment where Pittsburgh chose potential over presence. The long-term play over the right-now push.
And when you’ve got a generational arm like Skenes, that kind of patience starts to feel like a risk.
A Glimpse of What Could Be
The WBC is going to be a showcase - not just of Skenes’ electric stuff, but of what happens when elite talent is put in a winning environment. When expectations match ability. When the lights are bright and the moments matter.
And that’s the cruel irony for Pirates fans. Because Skenes is going to look like a superstar.
He’s going to be treated like one. And it’s all going to happen far from Pittsburgh.
This isn’t about blaming the front office for not flipping a switch overnight. It’s about urgency.
It’s about recognizing what you have before it slips away. Because the more Skenes shines on stages like this, the louder the question becomes:
When will the Pirates build something worthy of him?
The clock’s ticking. The spotlight is coming.
And Paul Skenes is ready. The only question left is whether Pittsburgh will be, too.