Pirates ace Paul Skenes wins NL Rookie of Year award over Jackson Merrill and Jackson Chourio

Hard-throwing Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes beat San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio for the National League Rookie of the Year Award on Monday.

Skenes didn’t make his big league debut until May 11 but the right-hander was such an immediate sensation that he was selected to start the All-Star Game for the NL on July 16.

The 22-year-old, the first overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft, finished 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts. He struck out 170 and walked 32 in 133 innings.

He received 23 first-place votes for 136 points while Merrill had seven firsts and 104 points. They were named on all ballots. Chourio had 26 points

Skenes also is a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award.

Skenes became the second Pirates player to win the award after Jason Bay in 2004. He is the 24th pitcher to win the award.

Merrill, 21, came on strong during the second half, igniting a debate whether an everyday player deserved the award more than a starting pitcher.

Merrill was converted from shortstop to center field during spring training, when the Padres had only two outfielders on their roster.

Merrill was picked for the All-Star team and helped the Padres reach the playoffs, where they swept Atlanta in the Wild Card Series and then lost in the Division Series to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Chourio was a 20-20 player at age 20.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB