Paul Skenes sharing WBC stage with Bobby Witt Jr. hints at Pirates dream duo

On the off chance that there were any baseball fans out there unfamiliar with Paul Skenes, the Pirates' ace put those concerns to rest with his performance against a stud-laden Dominican Republic lineup, allowing just one run in Sunday's victory to punch Team USA's ticket to Tuesday night's championship game against Venezuela.

Skenes has been a key cog for Team USA, who wound up falling to Venezuela in the final. In his first start, he dominated Mexico — a team that had held the Americans winless in three tries in prior editions of the WBC — in pool play, which ultimately proved vital to Team USA even escaping the opening round of the tournament. He's had some help along the way, including AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal (who beat Great Britain in pool play); sluggers like Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, and Cal Raleigh (a trio that combined for 169 home runs last season); and native Yinzers David Bednar and Mason Miller in the bullpen.

Also on the squad is Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who has emerged as the near-consensus top position player in the sport not named Judge or Ohtani, and the game's best five-tool star. In the three seasons since his rookie campaign, he's posted absurd numbers, slashing .301/.353/.528 while averaging 6.9 WAR, 28 home runs, and 39 stolen bases per season. During that time, he's also become an elite defender, going from minus-22 defensive runs saved as a rookie to a two-time Gold Glove-winning shortstop.

Witt put his talent on display during the WBC, reaching base 11 times and stealing three bases while serving as Team USA's leadoff hitter and making absurd defensive plays behind Skenes himself. Skenes has clearly enjoyed being surrounded by that kind of talent, and seeing him in the tournament has left Pirates fans to wonder what it would look like to surround him with those kinds of players.

Fortunately, that idea might not be as far-fetched as one might think. There's a chance that the Pirates have their own version of Witt in superstar prospect Konnor Griffin. The 19-year-old has been turning heads at Pirates spring training with his blazing speed and consistently hard-hit balls. He's looked far better this spring than what the average box score would indicate.

Watching Paul Skenes play alongside Bobby Witt Jr. in the World Baseball Classic has left Pirates fans eagerly anticipating Konnor Griffin's arrival

Griffin entered the Pirates organization out of high school with elite grades on his power, speed, and arm, but with concerns about his hit tool and ability to stick at shortstop. He promptly alleviated those concerns by hitting .333 across three different levels and winning the Minor League Gold Glove at shortstop (which is given out to one player per position across all of the minor leagues).

If Griffin fulfills his potential, he and Witt would be in a tier of their own among MLB's elite. Despite his age and inexperience (he has yet to play above Double-A), he's probably the best shortstop the Pirates have, and there's real buzz surrounding the possibility of Griffin signing a contract extension and being the team's starting shortstop when the Pirates open in Queens on March 26.

The Pirates having a pitcher and a position player of that caliber would represent an unprecedented luxury. Watching Skenes surrounded by some of the game's best players has been a treat, but he soon may have to wait every five days — not every three years — to have other elite talent take the field with him.