“Not a complicated game,” Paul Skenes CONFIDENT in winning without top players like Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani in lineup

Despite being unsure about his future with Pirates, Paul Skenes is confident about the team’s win vs. Dodgers' top players in lineup.

“Not a complicated game,” Paul Skenes CONFIDENT in winning without top players like Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani in lineup

Paul Skenes and Shohei Ohtani [Image Credit: Imago]

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes is not afraid to face the Los Angeles Dodgers star-studded lineup in a match. He believes anyone can win a game playing “fundamental baseball” at a “very high level” even if they don’t command top stars in the roster.

Recently the LA Dodgers are in the spotlight after they penned both international top free agent Roki Sasaki and pitcher Tanner Scott. Sasaki joined the team with a minor league contract of $6.5 million as he stepped into MLB at 23. 

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Tanner Scott on the other hand joined the Dodgers on a 4-year deal worth $72 million. Prior to their signing of these top talents, they also command a lineup consisting – Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Teoscar Hernandez, and others.

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While their 2025 lineup may seem daunting to many, Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes remains unfazed. He admitted that while signing players like Ohtani will make the win easier, they are not compulsory for a win. 

It’s not a complicated game.

Paul Skenes as per Jason Mackey on X.
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He believes any team can win a contest if they put their 100% into it. Last season the Pirates finished 13 games back from a playoff spot holding a record of 76-86. Paul Skenes commented that they need to play better after “we p***** those games away”.

Paul Skenes silent on long-term deal with Pirates amidst ongoing controversies

Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes’ silence on a long-term deal with the team heated up the fans during their annual fan fest event. Fans are blaming owner Bob Nutting for the team’s inefficiency in signing their top player while chants of “Sell the team” carried on.

Paul Skenes
Paul Skenes [Image Credit: Imago]

In the past few years, the Pirates front office has traded and left players in the free market instead of investing in the future. With Skenes possibly being the next target in a couple of years, the fans are hoping the team signs his time up before any complications arise.

When asked what he thought of signing a long-term deal, Skenes replied, “I haven’t given it too much thought.” His response caused unrest among the fans as they were waiting to hear some good news about Skenes’ signing.

I haven’t heard a whole lot.

Paul Skenes as per MLB analyst Ben Verlander on X.
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Skenes is coming off a historic first season as he broke records and set new numbers in his MLB journey. He won the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year award and came third for the NL CY Young award. He set a franchise record as a rookie with 170 strikeouts in 133 innings pitched.