Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes is already a top name in MLB despite being in his second year. Skenes was named the National League All-Star start and the NL Rookie of the Year winner in 2024.
In 2025, Skenes already has a 3-3 record with a 2.74 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 42.2 innings, which is just under one strikeout per inning.
As such, Skenes should be in line for a gigantic payday when the time comes around. Juan Soto recently signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed a $500 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, and MLB teams are throwing out money left and right to the game's up-and-coming stars.
ESPN's Jeff Passan named some potential big paydays coming in the MLB world, and Skene's name was linked as a possible half-a-billion-dollar man.
"If it's not Skubal (or Pérez), it's bound to be Skenes. The 22-year-old helped his clock by winning Rookie of the Year and the full year of service that comes with it. He'll be just 27 when he's on the market after the 2029 season. And if Skubal (or Pérez) does indeed crack the $400 million threshold, it would be no surprise to see Skenes -- the best pitching prospect in a generation -- parlay his productivity, age and marketability into becoming baseball's first half-billion-dollar pitcher."
While Passan had Skenes in the $400 million category, he also had Tarik Skubal there. So, assuming Skubal gets a $400 million deal, there is no doubt Skenes would exceed that and aim to be the highest-paid pitcher in the game - and rightfully so.
Sure, that's a lot of cash, but Skenes is a generational talent that brings fans to stadiums all around the country.
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