Unsurprisingly, the Pittsburgh Pirates designated Paul Skenes as their opening day starter when they face off against the Miami Marlins on March 27.
The team released a wholesome video Manager Derek Shelton informed Skenes that he would have control of the situation at the beginning of the 2025 season. Following this video circulating on social media, Skenes spoke with Pirates’ sideline reporter Hannah Mears about receiving an unusually confident message from Pittsburgh’s premier prospect, Bubba Chandler.
Chandler, a right-handed pitcher who's expected to debut at some point in 2025, reached out to Skenes via text to congratulate him on the Opening Day nod, before informing the reigning Rookie of the Year that it may very well be his last time toeing the rubber for Pittsburgh's season opener.
"The cool thing is, he sent me a text when the video came out today and he said, 'It's gonna be tough next year when you're starting day two,'" Skenes said, detailing the message he received from Chandler.
Skenes made clear he was greatly appreciative of that type of message from his soon-to-be teammate. MLB Pipeline heralds Chandler as the No. 15 prospect in all of baseball, and the 22-year-old clearly isn't lacking any confidence as he continues to work his way up to the highest level.
It remains to be seen whether he can take over Skenes' position at the forefront of the Pirates' pitching lineup, but it appears that Chandler is prepared to vie for it once he makes his way into the major leagues.
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This piece was initially published on www.si.com as Pirates' Leading Prospective Sent Strong Statement to Paul Skenes Following Opening Day Start Assignment .
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