Mark DeRosa thought he got screened by Paul Skenes. When the Team USA manager called the Pittsburgh Pirates ace to pitch him on playing in the World Baseball Classic next spring, Skenes didn’t answer.

But Skenes called right back and readily accepted.

“I had this pitch I was going to make to you and why you made sense and why you needed to do this, and you didn’t even hesitate,” DeRosa said. “You just said, ‘I’m in.’ ”

That’s a snippet from a sit-down interview DeRosa did with Skenes, the 23-year-old right-hander who is a front-runner to win the National League Cy Young Award this season.

The interview, which aired on “MLB Central” on Thursday morning on MLB Network, touched on topics ranging from why Skenes chose the U.S. Air Force Academy and his decision to leave for LSU to becoming the first pitcher to start an All-Star Game in each of his first two major-league seasons.

It gives a rare glimpse into Skenes’ easy rapport with DeRosa and the side that he rarely reveals, that of the late-bloomer baseball fan who developed into one of the game’s most dominant pitchers.

Skenes shared that when he watched Team USA win the WBC in 2017, six years before he became the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, he knew he wanted to play in the event one day.

“As a baseball fan, I remember thinking, ‘If I ever get the opportunity to do this, I’m 1,000% doing it, no questions asked,’ ” Skenes said. “The answer is yes. There’s no higher stage than the World Baseball Classic. Just representing America, playing with our nation’s best. It’s a no-brainer.”

Christopher Horner | TribLive Pirates first round draft pick Paul Skenes smiles during a press conference on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at PNC Park.  

1. Own the sky

One of the most interesting revelations Skenes shared is his college choice came down to Air Force and the U.S. Naval Academy. His desire to become a fighter pilot was inspired by watching the movie “Top Gun,” calling it “the greatest recruiting ad in military history.”

Leaving Air Force after two years to transfer to LSU was a difficult decision, Skenes said. When DeRosa asked if he would’ve been drafted No. 1 overall if he had stayed in Colorado Springs, Skenes was quick to say no.

“I didn’t want to leave,” Skenes said. “I was playing the game purely for fun. It basically came to like, ‘I don’t want to do this, but I have to.’ I remember that conversation where I said, ‘What do you think I should do?’ He said, ‘The way I see it, you’ve got two options: You’re going to stay at Air Force, you’re going to get drafted and walk across the stage in your flight suit and every time you pitch it’s going to be a recruiting ad for the Air Force. Or you’re going to transfer somewhere else and you’re going to go 1/1.’”

Sounds like Skenes was destined to become top gun either way.

On May 24th, the Brewers lost to the Pirates to fell to 25-28. They are now 76-44 with a 6-game lead on the rest of MLB.

51-16 is the best 67-game stretch in franchise history! Pat Murphy’s Brewers are special. Enjoy it while you can! pic.twitter.com/rjv5xHbH5R

— The Brew Crew Scoop (@BrewCrewScoop) August 13, 2025

2. Be like the Brewers

Where being swept at Seattle was sobering and at home against the Chicago White Sox should have driven the Pirates to drink, the three-game series at Milwaukee should make them think about becoming the Brewers.

Not only did Milwaukee sweep the Pirates, but they did so in a style that made even the SportsNet Pittsburgh studio analysts show their appreciation.

Former Pirates catcher Michael McKenry noted that 20 of the 36 hits and 17 of the 33 runs the Brewers scored against the Pirates came on two-out hits. To take it a step further, McKenry pointed to the Brew Crew’s 14 two-strike hits — six for extra bases, including three home runs.

“These guys were phenomenal when their backs were against the wall. That is a telltale sign of a great team, right? They’re not scared of being in two strikes because they shorten up sometimes. Other times, they believe in themselves and stay in that A swing, and they try to let it eat. They’re just pesky. They’re cockroaches. They don’t want to go away. They don’t want to hide, and they will figure out a way.”

Before the trade deadline, infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa mentioned Milwaukee as a model club for the Pirates because they stay true to their personnel — and persona — with the way they play.

“I think the Brewers go about it the right way: They don’t ever change their identity,” Kiner-Falefa said. “Sometimes, when we’re going good we’ll change our identity. The Brewers, whether they’re going good or playing bad, they don’t change their identity. They’re running the bases, they’re still bunting, they’re still hitting-and-running. No matter what the score is, they don’t shy away from their identity.

“I feel like when we’re going good, we’ll turn into a slugging team for a week. All of a sudden, that goes cold and we try to revert into a small-ball team. We just ride the wave. We need to do a better job of identifying who we are as players and knowing your strengths and your weaknesses. … When we get into situations, we’re hoping for the best instead of understanding what we do well.”

Christopher Horner | TribLive Pirates right fielder Bryan Reynolds rounds the bases past third base coach Mike Rabelo after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the Reds on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at PNC Park.  

3. B-Rey is back

If there’s a bright spot with the Pirates, it’s the offensive resurgence of Bryan Reynolds since the All-Star break.

Reynolds went 3 for 4 with two home runs and five RBIs in the 12-5 loss to the Brewers on Wednesday, rallying the Pirates from a 6-0 deficit to within one run via a three-run blast and a two-run shot.

“Bryan had the two good swings,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “The first one he hit off (Shelby) Miller, he absolutely crushed it. The one to center was a line drive, which is a really good sign for him, staying pull-side in the air like that.”

Reynolds entered the break batting .225/.287/.369, a substandard season for the two-time All-Star outfielder. Since July 18, he’s hitting .326/.363/.537 with nine doubles, a triple, three homers and 15 RBIs.

When asked last week about how he rediscovered his stroke, Reynolds was at a loss.

“I don’t know,” Reynolds said, following his winning, two-run triple in eighth inning of the 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 8. “Just trying to put the barrel on the ball and trying to do what I can.”

Christopher Horner | TribLive Pirates cenetr fielder Oneil Cruz makes a sliding catch to rob the Reds’ Ke’Bryan Hayes on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, at PNC Park.  

4. Simon Says

On the flip side, Oneil Cruz had a team-best .733 OPS before the All-Star break but has struggled since shining in the Home Run Derby.

The Pirates center fielder was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list after his head collided into a sliding Jack Suwinski in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s 14-0 loss to the Brewers.

Though the nature of the injury is scary, the weeklong break from baseball might do Cruz some good. He’s been batting .188/.245/.341 with five doubles, a triple, two homers and 14 RBIs since July 18.

To replace Cruz, the Pirates recalled outfielder Ronny Simon from Triple-A Indianapolis and immediately inserted him into the leadoff spot in the lineup, with good reason.

The 25-year-old Simon, claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins on June 2, batted .291 with nine doubles, a triple, seven homers and 30 RBIs in 52 games at Indy. As impressive, he had 24 stolen bases, tied for the most in Triple-A in that span.

Simon went 2 for 5 with two runs scored in his Pirates debut, showing off his speed on two groundouts and two singles.

“He swung the bat well, ran really well down the line and made plays close down there and had good at-bats,” Kelly said.

Chaz Palla | TribLive Konnor Griffin, the Pirates’ 2024 first-round pick, works out during spring training in Florida.  

5. On the farm

When MLB Pipeline released its updated list of top 30 Pirates prospects, there was a shakeup in the top 10.

Though shortstop/center fielder Konnor Griffin is No. 1 — not just for the Pirates but in all of baseball — and right-hander Bubba Chandler at No. 2 (and in the top 10 overall), 2025 first-round pick Seth Hernandez debuts at No. 3, followed by lefty Hunter Barco.

The biggest surprise is the rise of 18-year-old Edward Florentino, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound outfielder/first baseman for Low-A Bradenton, to the No. 5 spot.

Florentino is batting .250/.379/.486 with 11 doubles, eight homers and 28 RBIs, as well as 25 stolen bases, in 42 games for the Marauders. That was impressive enough to surpass 2022 first-round pick Termarr Johnson on the prospect list.

Shortstop Sammy Stafura, acquired from Cincinnati in the Ke’Bryan Hayes trade, is ranked seventh. And catcher Rafael Flores, acquired from the New York Yankees in the David Bednar trade, is ranked eighth.

Right-hander Thomas Harrington slipped from No. 5 to No. 9, and shortstop Wyatt Sanford rounds out the top 10. Several top-10 prospects slipped in the MLB Pipeline rankings. Left-hander Anthony Solometo dropped from No. 4 in 2024 to No. 25. Infielder Nick Yorke dropped from No. 6 to 11, outfielder Mitch Jebb from No. 8 to 18 and infielder Jack Brannigan from No. 10 to 21.

But the Pirates improved their farm system from one that ranked in the middle of MLB’s 30 teams to return to the top 10 again.

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