This absurd Paul Skenes comparison only further emphasizes his greatness

Baseball history is littered with stud pitchers. Each era has had its greats, from Sandy Koufax to Bob Gibson to Tom Seaver to Nolan Ryan to Greg Maddux, and on into the modern era. Throughout the game's evolution, dominant hurlers have become the protagonists of our baseball reality. That's why, when you look at what Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has done so far in his young career, it really makes you do a double-take.

Even the greats don't necessarily hit the ground running to the degree that Skenes has over his first two big league seasons. On the rare occasions where it has happened in the past, it has blown up to epic proportions that will be remembered throughout history, like the Fernandomania that ensued when Fernando Valenzuela broke through with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981.

Accounting for the differences between eras is a fool's errand, but in terms of sheer dominance, even something as consequential as Valenzuela's sensational arrival pales in comparison to where Skenes ranks, coming in as one of only two pitchers in the last 100 years to throw at least 170 career innings with a sub-2.00 ERA.

Paul Skenes is in rarefied air after two seasons, upping the pressure on the Pirates to get this right

There is really no comparison between Skenes and the man he shares this centennial distinction with, Emmanuel Clase. Gambling scandal aside, as dominant as Clase has been as a closer, pitching one inning a night and not having to survive the rigors of turning a lineup over multiple times throughout a game is not nearly as impressive as what Skenes has done.

Skenes has now logged 320.2 career innings, posting a 1.96 career ERA, while striking out 31% of batters he's faced and issuing walks just 5.9% of the time. Just thinking about the levels the 23-year-old righty has already reached is staggering.

It's no wonder Skenes received the highest pre-arbitration bonus ever recorded. We literally have never seen this level of greatness so early in a career from a starting pitcher, ever.

And with the broken records and new milestones come expectations. Not only expectations for Skenes to somehow top what he's already done, or at the bare minimum maintain it, but also expectations for the Pirates.

Not only does the franchise need to find a way to keep Skenes around for the long haul, but they need to build a winner around him. This has the Pirates in something of a chicken-or-the-egg scenario. The easiest way to keep Skenes around is to build a winner around him; however, they have a lot of work to do on that front, and by the time they get there, Skenes' performance might price him out of their budget if they spend too much on veteran talent around him in the years to come.

It might seem like hyperbole, but Skenes hits arbitration for the first time in 2027, and at the rate he's going, it's going to be a record-setting process. That means Pittsburgh not only needs to spend, but do so wisely, or else they'll squander the most dynamic ace we've seen in a century. No pressure, though.