The record numbers for Paul Skenes are in full swing, and he still has four years before he becomes a free agent.
The reigning NL Cy Young winner received a record $3,436,343 from this season’s pre-arbitration pool, according to the Associated Press.
He has now received $5,588,400 from the pool from his two years in the major leagues, with the program reportedly designed to reward successful players before arbitration.
The 23-year-old Skenes will not be eligible for arbitration until after this season.
The pre-arbitration amounts should not be confused with Skenes’ annual salary, which is low for now due to the baseball arbitration process.
Skenes earned $564,946 in his first season in 2024 when he won NL Rookie of the Year, and $875,000 this year when he earned top pitcher honors for the NL.
The righty is one of 101 players to receive a pre-arbitration bonus this year, which reportedly includes a lump sum in case a player wins a major award such as MVP, Cy Young or Rookie of the Year, plus the remaining money from the $50 million pool that is doled out based on a WAR formula.
Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. set the record last year when he was paid $3,077,595 while finishing second in the AL MVP voting behind Aaron Judge.
This record is likely one of many Skenes will achieve in the majors, provided he stays healthy.
The former LSU star is already on a Hall of Fame trajectory, going 21-13 with a 1.96 ERA over his first 55 starts in the majors.
He is a two-time All-Star, finishing in the top three in Cy Young voting both seasons and also earning a pair of top-20 finishes in NL MVP voting.
While he may not reach Shohei Ohtani’s annual average value of $70 million because the Dodgers star is a two-way phenom, Skenes should easily land the record $325 million pitching contract that Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed ahead of the 2024 season.
A report emerged saying he told teammates he hoped to become a Yankee, but he dismissed that idea and said he was focused on making the Pirates winners.
In the meantime, Skenes is enjoying his offseason away from the cold in Pittsburgh.
He and his girlfriend Livvy Dunne enjoyed a fun Hawaiian vacation, with Dunne taking candid photos of the lovebirds at college.
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