Paul Skenes is the undisputed face of the Pirates’ franchise, right? To many fans, that’s the case.
After Griffin inked a nine-year, $140 million extension with the Pirates on Wednesday, Skenes was asked of the deal.
“He’s gonna be the face of the Pirates for a long time,” Skenes said of Griffin.
Paul Skenes led the league in ERA in 2025, leading to his Cy Young win. Archie Carpenter/UPI/Shutterstock Of course, that distinction undoubtedly falls on Skenes right now.
The 2023 No. 1 overall pick won the National League Cy Young Award last season in just his second year in the league.
He also captured Rookie of the Year honors the campaign prior after posting a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts over 23 games.
Last year, Skenes was even better, leading the league with a 1.97 ERA in 187 2/3 innings, while also punching out 216 batters. That is what you call the face of a franchise.
In 2025, he split time between three levels, eventually finishing the year in Double-A. Before the season, Griffin was ranked as the No. 1 prospect in baseball at just 19 years old.
He started this season in Triple-A, where he batted .438 in just 21 plate appearances before being called up to the majors.
Konnor Griffin has played six games at the MLB level since being called up. Getty Images Griffin has played in six MLB games thus far, racking up three hits and four RBIs but hitting .167.
His extension marks the largest contract in Pirates history, surpassing Bryan Reynolds’ $106.75 million deal in 2023.
“I see a winning organization here,” Griffin said after inking the deal. “We’re gonna do a lot of great things with the players that we have. I wanna be a part of it for nine years. I wanna continue to be a part of the build of winning playoff baseball. This is a great place for me, a great place for my family. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Now, Skenes hasn’t exactly agreed with that sentiment recently. After Pittsburgh fired Derek Shelton midway through last season, Skenes blasted the team for its poor play.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t shocked,” Skenes said. “At the end of the day, we’re (12-26). Someone’s gotta be held accountable. Right now, it’s him. That’s just kind of how it goes. I don’t know if it fixes the root of the issue, which is that we need to play better.”
In contrast to Griffin, Skenes has yet to sign an extension with the Pirates, and he would currently become a free agent after the 2029 season.
