This article originally appeared on PGHBaseballNOW.
There’s only one pitcher in baseball you could argue might be better than Paul Skenes. That would be Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers, the winner of the last two American League Cy Young awards.
Skenes and Skubal are clearly the two best pitchers in baseball as evident by the fact that both enter the 2026 as the reigning Cy Young in their respective leagues and the favorites to win again.
For the Pittsburgh Pirates, Skenes headlines what was a strong starting rotation in 2025 and what looks to again be a strength of the team again this season. In addition to Skenes, the Pirates have Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler and a couple guys vying for the fifth spot, likely as a placeholder until Jared Jones returns from injury.
Of the bunch, who should be considered the No. 2 behind Skenes?
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