Pirates Players Share Spotlight
Paul Skeens seems like the obvious face of the Pirates franchise, right? Well, not according to him.
When asked about Connor Griffin’s recent nine-year, $140 million extension with the team, Skeens had a different opinion. “He’s going to be the face of the Pirates for a long time,” he remarked.
At this moment, it’s hard to argue against Skeens as the franchise’s face. The young star, who was the first overall pick in 2023, clinched the National League Cy Young Award last season, in just his second year. He’s put up impressive stats—like a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts over 23 games, even winning Rookie of the Year honors before that.
In fact, Skeens actually upped his game last season, leading the league with a 1.97 ERA while pitching 187 and two-thirds innings and striking out 216 batters. Truly, a face for the franchise.
Still, Skeens believes Griffin deserves that title. Griffin, just 19 years old, spent 2025 bouncing between three levels and wrapped up the year in Double-A. Before this season started, he was touted as baseball’s top prospect.
Kicking off this season in Triple-A, he made quite an impression, hitting .438 in just 21 at-bats before being called up to join the majors.
So far, Griffin has played in six MLB games, managing three hits and four RBIs, although his batting average sits at .167. His recent contract extension is historic for the Pirates, surpassing Bryan Reynolds’ previous record of $106.75 million from 2023.
“I think we have a winning organization here,” Griffin said after he signed. “We’re going to do a lot of great things with the players we have. I want to be a part of it for nine years. I want to continue to be a part of winning playoff baseball. This is a great place for me and a great place for my family. I couldn’t be more proud.”
However, Skeens doesn’t seem to share that optimism lately. After the team fired Derek Shelton mid-season, Skeens criticized the organization for its poor performance.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t shocked,” he admitted. “At the end of the day, we’re (12-26). Somebody has to take responsibility. Right now, it’s him. I mean, I don’t know if it solves the root of the problem. It just means we need to play better.”
Unlike Griffin, Skeens hasn’t signed any contract extension yet and is slated to become a free agent after the 2029 season.
