The best rotation the Pittsburgh Pirates can have in the second half of the season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are having a solid season. Many of their wins have come off the backs of their starting rotation. They have one of if not the best starter in baseball right now, and plenty of depth behind him. Once guys start coming off the Injured List, this already deep and formidable group will become even better. But what is the best five the Pirates can put out there during the second half of this year?

This is based on a few factors, specifically the talent in the system and the likelihood of who receives the ball moving forward. The Pirates might have some good pitchers at Altoona, but consider the likelihood they’d get the call straight from Double-A to the majors, especially with the depth the Pirates have.

Now the Pirates have a ton of starting pitching options. With how they have balanced the workloads of young pitchers this year, the best rotation down the stretch would be a six-man unit. This is not only because of the workload balancing they have done, but because the Pirates have six quality starting pitchers with more depth they could turn to if need be.

Ideal Pirates Rotation for Rest of 2024 MLB Season

Paul Skenes

Duh, who else would be the best pitcher in the Pirates’ starting rotation in the second half of the year? Paul Skenes not only is a prime Rookie of the Year candidate, but if he continues to pitch anything like he has so far, he could be the Pirates’ first Cy Young winner since 1990 when Doug Drabek took home the award.

Skenes has been unstoppable since his debut. Entering the break, he pitched 66.1 innings with a 1.90 ERA, 2.57 FIP, and 0.92 WHIP. Skenes ranks top five in baseball in each of these three statistics since his debut. His 34.9% strikeout rate is the second-best, while his 6.85 K:BB ratio is the third best in baseball. Skenes and Garrett Crochet from the White Sox are the only pitches with a strikeout rate over 30% with a walk rate under 6%, with Skenes clocking in at 5.1%.

The only thing Skenes hasn’t been elite at is limiting home runs. His 0.92 HR/9 is only above league average instead of in the top five. Even then, it’s not like Skenes is getting knocked around the yard and getting lucky with fly balls. He has just a 6% barrel rate, which is well above the league-average rate.

Paul Skenes throws a 100 MPH fastball with a mid-90s splinker, and possesses the precision of a command pitcher. He’s a bonafide ace. He’s been even better than what many were likely expecting when the Pirates took him first overall.