Pirates' Skenes showcases expanded arsenal in 1st Grapefruit League appearance of year

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BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes got a chance to showcase his expanded repertoire to opposing hitters Saturday while pitching in a Grapefruit League game for the first time this year.

Skenes has been working on adding a cutter and a running two-seam fastball to complement his electrifying four-seam fastball. The 22-year-old struck out four and allowed four hits, one walk and one run in three innings Saturday in the Pirates' 5-2 victor over the Baltimore Orioles.

“You’ve just got to mix it in,” Skenes told SportsNet Pittsburgh and other media after the game. “I learned some stuff about it. It’s going to be good, I think.”

Skenes is following up a sensational 2024 season in which he earned NL Rookie of the Year honors and went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 133 innings. The Pirates selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft after he led LSU to that year’s College World Series championship.

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