Bob Nutting should double Paul Skenes' charity commitment after Pirates star hits mark

Pittsburgh Pirates ace and reigning National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes pledged to donate $100 to the Gary Sinise Foundation for every strikeout he recorded during the 2025 season, setting his donation goal for the year at $100,000.

Thanks to his dominance on the mound, and with support from fans and brand partners, Skenes has reached that goal with plenty of time to spare. As of Tuesday, he had raised more than $117,000 for the foundation, which supports veterans, first responders and their families. Now, he has moved the goalpost, setting his fundraising goal for the season at $150,000.

Skenes, whose deep connection to the military community dates back to his time at the Air Force Academy, has worked with the Gary Sinise Foundation for two seasons by raising money through his strikeout campaign, hosting families of fallen heroes at Pirates games and more. Later this month, he will join the foundation to serve meals and present new equipment grants for local Pittsburgh-area police and fire departments.

Bob Nutting should double Paul Skenes' charity commitment after Pirates star hits mark

Skenes' generosity through the strikeout campaign has inspired others, including ESPN's Pat McAfee, who has pledged to match Skenes' donations to the Gary Sinise Foundation in each of the last two seasons. Additionally, McAfee promised a $1 million donation to the foundation if Skenes breaks the MLB record of 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game. (His single-game record sits at 11, which he reached twice during the 2024 season.)

If McAfee can match Skenes' fundraising commitment, then Pirates principal owner Bob Nutting can double it. And he should.

This season, Skenes has pitched to a 1.98 ERA with 195 strikeouts. In his last start, he tossed six shutout innings to bring his career ERA to 1.97 through his first 52 starts – the lowest in the live-ball era. He's dominating, and he's doing it for a fraction of what he's worth, earning an annual salary of $875,000 with another year to go before he becomes arbitration eligible.

Even once Skenes is eligible to earn more per season, Nutting's track record indicates that the Pirates won't be the ones paying him. Perhaps Nutting is too cheap to honor a generational talent's commitment to the franchise by paying him even close to what he's worth, but the very least he could do is double that generational talent's commitment to charity.