Even after rocking the major leagues in 2024 and being named NL Rookie of the Year, Pittsburgh Pirates ace pitcher Paul Skenes is still looking for a breakthrough. The 22-year-old fireball teenager recently revealed the direction of the offseason adjustment and goals for the new season in an exclusive interview with the official website MLB Network Sirius XM radio station.

"It's all about precision on the ball, less hurtful shots, more air," Skins said, explaining the tweaking philosophy, "It's been my evolution this season and it's going to be that for the rest of my career." "

Looking back at his debut season in 2024, Skins averaged 1.96 ERA per game (the lowest in the major leagues with at least 100 games), 170 strikeouts, and 4.3 wins per game (FanGraphs WAR). Since making his major league debut on May 11, the 2023 draft pick has become the league's most efficient starting pitcher.

Even so, Skins is still eyeing efficiency and has revealed that he has added a new ball to his arsenal: "We've developed two new weapons for the new season – and of course there may be changes next year. The core goal is to make every pitch more lethal. "

Skins expressed strong confidence in the Pirates' playoff drought since 2015: "What excites me the most is the commitment of the whole team. While all 30 teams had hope in spring training, hope did not translate directly into victory. The atmosphere in the dressing room this year is very different from last year and we have a real chance. "