Paul Skenes, the top pick in the 2023 draft, made a splash in the big leagues in 2024, not only winning the National League Rookie of the Year award with a stunning report card, but also being regarded as the future star and ace starter of the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, the young pitcher is not satisfied with the achievements of the first season, and plans to add two new balls - the two-seam speedball and the carter ball - to further strengthen the pressure of the hitter.

According to 2024 data, Spinns' arsenal already includes 100-mile speedballs, the iconic Splinker, sliders, curveballs and speed balls. With the addition of two new lanes, he will create more opportunities to swing through a wider combination of ball types. "yes, I'm trying to add decision points that make it harder for hitters to deal with," said Skins.

Pirate pitcher coach Oscar Marin emphasised a pragmatic goal: "My priority is to build on his performance last year. Although his personal expectations may be slightly different from those of the team, it is this ambition that makes him so good." Marin's focus on improving his pitching efficiency in spring training also coincided with Skins' goal of extending his innings with a more efficient way out.

Skins further elaborated, "The way to increase the number of innings is to tackle the hitter as early as possible. As a strikeout pitcher, my goal is not to strike out occasionally, but to systematically create strikeouts by quickly building a 1-0 or 2-0 ball advantage."

In the face of the expectation that he will be seen as a long-term ace in the future and the main investment in the opening game, Skins is more focused on the team's growth: "My goal is to inspire Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, Bailey Falter and Johan Oviedo to improve together and draw motivation from them. No matter who becomes the backbone of the team, as long as we improve as a whole, we can win more."