“This is a wasted year.” Those words might as well have echoed through Paul Skenes’ mind as the Pittsburgh Pirates once again find themselves in last place in the NL Central in 2025. A decade has passed since the Pirates last tasted October baseball in 2015, and the drought shows no signs of ending. The All-Star has now urged the front office to get things right, and the urgency is evident.

The Pirates had a tough season in 2025. With a record of 65-89, they were 29.5 games behind first place and out of the running for the postseason. The Pirates’ offense in 2025 was at the bottom in almost every category. They were 30th in runs (545), home runs (108), and slugging (.347), and 28th in batting average (.230). Even Paul Skenes’ great play couldn’t save the season since the team was so weak. This is the reason he is urging the ownership to implement real changes.

As reported by ESPN, Paul Skenes didn’t mince words when asked about the franchise’s future. He said, “I think — individually, as a team and as an organization — we know the adjustments we need to make. Now we’ve just got to do them,” he said with a hint of impatience. His follow-up was very urgent: “There’s room to get better in this locker room. We just need to do it. I’m sure we’ll get some pieces and do all that.” It was evident what the message was: the front office had to put money into getting a good team.

With an estimated 2025 payroll of approximately $82.7M, the Pirates stand at 27th as per Sportarc. The Pirates haven’t signed a free agent to a multi-year deal since 2016. And it’s not happening for the first time that Bob Nutting has been urged to make the club better. Earlier in the season, Michael Kay, a Yankees commentator, publicly called out Pirates owner Bob Nutting for not signing free agents and making the team better around Skenes. The 20-year-old is one of the best pitchers in MLB, with a 2.03 ERA, 209 strikeouts, and a 0.96 WHIP.

Skenes can’t win games by himself, even while he’s playing at almost historic levels. Analysts have said that his great stats could not mean anything if the offense doesn’t become better. Jeff Passan, an MLB insider, said earlier this season, “If they believe that they have absolutely no chance of signing him, then they should trade him.” And many clubs are interested in him, and the Yankees are one of them.

Before the trade deadline, the Yankees are said to have made a serious bid for Skenes. Jon Heyman said they were willing to give up prospects George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones in a deal to get him. Although it didn’t happen, as the Pirates’ front office said no. All in all, Bob Nutting must act now, especially with their ace urging and other clubhouses eyeing him.

Even though the team is falling apart around him and trade rumours are swirling, Skenes did something that shows what the team stands to lose.

Amid Pirates’ collapse, Paul Skenes shines with historic double honors

Even though the Pirates had a bad season, Paul Skenes got an award that shows there is something to build on. The Pittsburgh chapter of the BBWAA unanimously named him the team MVP and the Steve Blass Award (Pirates’ best pitcher). Since the Blass Award began in 2012, this is the first time a pitcher has won the MVP award.

Fans and experts had high hopes for Skenes in the 2025 season. While the Pirates missed the playoffs, he impressed with his performance and noticeable improvement. “I pitched pretty well this year, but I’ve learned a lot and grown a lot,” he added. Manager Don Kelly agreed, saying that Skenes’ game planning, recuperation, and leadership have all been better—things that don’t often show up in the box score.

He also stressed that there is still work to be done. Skenes believes that to become a contender, both as individuals and as a team, they will have to make sacrifices. “What are we willing to sacrifice … Looking in the mirror is part of that. We need to do that.”  He doesn’t just care about his own awards; he wants the whole locker room to rise with him. And that perfectly makes sense with the plea he made to the front office.

These honors make up for some of the season’s overall disappointment. Fans have reason to be hopeful because Skenes has been so dominant and a good leader, even if the Pirates’ offense was one of the worst in MLB. Now the question is will Bob Nutting listen to his ace?