Pirates' Paul Skenes making history eventually being overshadowed by Jackson Merrill is criminal

Everyone get out your baseball history books, because it's time to pencil in Paul Skenes' name ... again.

The Pittsburgh Pirates' rookie phenom has already racked up countless accolades in his MLB debut season, and he added yet another triumph to his growing legend in Sunday's outing against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark.

After allowing just two hits and striking out nine batters over five shutout innings, Skenes became the first pitcher in the modern era to have an ERA below 2.20 and strike out 150 batters through his first 21 games.

With his scoreless outing against the Reds, Skenes also lowered his ERA to 1.99, making him just the second MLB pitcher since 1913 to have an ERA of less than 2.00 through 22 career appearances.

Pirates' Paul Skenes making history eventually being overshadowed by Jackson Merrill is criminal

It's hard to imagine anyone actually exceeding the lofty expectations placed on Skenes coming into the season, but he very well may have done it. He has already shattered the Pirates' rookie strikeout record, currently sitting at 167, and he became the first No. 1 overall draft pick to be selected to the MLB All-Star Game as a rookie. He was even named the National League's starting pitcher for the game, becoming the fifth rookie ever to receive the nod.

Skenes is a generational talent in every sense of the word. Players like him don't come around often (or ever). And yet, he still isn't the consensus favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year award. It's widely viewed as a two-horse race between Skenes and San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill, who leads all MLB rookies in batting average (.292), home runs (24) and hits (157) while boasting 10 outs above average in the field.

Merrill has become an anchor in the Padres' lineup and a driver of their late-season surge into the National League West title race. He has a larger body of work than Skenes, given that he is a position player and started the season on San Diego's Major League roster. As recently as last week, he was the odds-on favorite to claim NL Rookie of the Year honors. But after Skenes' latest outing, there should be no question as to whether he deserves the award.

To be clear, what Merrill has done this season has been exceptional in its own right. If there was a separate Rookie of the Year award for position players, it would be his to lose. But the season that Skenes has put together (and it hasn't even been a full season!) is the stuff of legend. What more does he have to do to prove it?

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