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Paul Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates\' phenom pitcher who earned NL Rookie of the Year honors with a 1.96 ERA in 2024, is navigating the challenges of sudden fame while focusing on building a sustainable career.

After transferring from Air Force Academy to LSU in 2023, Skenes dominated college baseball with 209 strikeouts in 122⅔ innings before becoming the first overall pick in the MLB draft. His rapid ascension to the majors culminated in an All-Star Game start just two months after his MLB debut.

The 22-year-old right-hander has sought advice from several established stars, including Hall of Famer Randy Johnson and Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, focusing specifically on career longevity rather than short-term success.

\"This is your career,\" Johnson advised Skenes during their meeting, encouraging him to push beyond the pitch count limitations that dominate modern baseball.

Skenes has become the youngest player ever selected to the MLB Players Association\'s executive subcommittee, accepting a nomination from Toronto\'s Chris Bassitt ahead of crucial labor negotiations for the collective bargaining agreement that expires after the 2026 season.

Despite his California upbringing and quiet demeanor, Skenes has embraced his role in Pittsburgh, where fans view him as the centerpiece of the franchise\'s potential revival after years of disappointment under owner Bob Nutting\'s frugal spending policies.

His methodical approach includes seeking periods of silence amid baseball\'s constant noise, believing that quiet contemplation helps him develop as both a pitcher and person. Skenes is constantly refining his six-pitch arsenal and experimenting with new offerings.

For Pirates fans worried about their star\'s future given the team\'s history of trading top talent before free agency, Skenes has expressed commitment to the city.

\"We\'re going to create it from within the locker room, and it\'s not going to be an ownership thing,\" Skenes says. \"Having a group of fans that are putting some pressure on the ownership and [GM] Ben [Cherington] and all that -- it\'s not a bad thing, but we have to go out there and do it. I kind of feel like we owe it to the city.\"

Skenes thinks slowly and methodically and finds clarity in silence.

\"The times that I\'ll figure stuff out is when I\'m just sitting and not doing anything,\" Skenes said. \"I\'ll figure some stuff out, on the mound or talking to people, but there will be times where I\'m just sitting or lying in bed or something like that. Silence. And there\'s nothing else to do but think. I wonder -- and I\'m not comparing myself to him by any stretch -- but Newton discovered gravity because he was sitting under a tree and an apple fell. You figure stuff out because you\'re sitting in silence. Compartmentalizing stuff, thinking about the game, doing a debrief of myself. That\'s how I\'ll get pitch grips. Just sitting around and imagining the feel of the baseball and like, oh, I\'m going to try that. It works or it doesn\'t work. If you do that enough, you\'re going to figure stuff out.\"

Via Jeff Passan/ESPN