Pirates ace Paul Skenes believes Pittsburgh developed a winning mindset in 2026, says clubhouse felt different from past few seasons.
Paul Skenes believes something has changed inside the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse, even though the team will not be playing in October.
The Pirates ace recently spoke with SportsNet Pittsburgh’s Hannah Mears about the team’s mindset and how it compared with the past few seasons. According to Skenes, the biggest change was the belief that Pittsburgh should expect to win every day.
“You show up to the field and it’s like, ‘Yeah, we’re going to win today,’” Skenes told Mears. “And that feeling was there this year, and I can’t say it was there to the same extent the last couple of years. I’ve kinda seen it on both sides a little bit now. Bryan [Reynolds] has seen it longer than I have, and it did seem like this year was different.”
“You show up to the field and it’s like ‘Yeah, we’re going to win today.’ And that feeling was there this year, and I can’t say it was there to the same extent the last couple of years.”
“I’ve kinda seen it on both sides a little bit now, Bryan has seen it longer that I have,… pic.twitter.com/URcMRX4Y7O
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) September 25, 2026
That is a bold mindset for a Pirates team that has spent much of the past several years rebuilding. Skenes has now experienced both sides of that process, while Reynolds has been with the organization through more of it.
Reynolds also remained a key part of Pittsburgh’s lineup throughout the season. Entering the final series against the Detroit Tigers, he had played in every game and was on track to become the first Pirate to play all 162 games since Jason Bay in 2005.
Skenes, meanwhile, is an anchor of the pitching staff. His starts gave Pittsburgh a reliable arm at the front of the rotation and helped the team stay competitive throughout the season.
The Pirates still have work to do after missing the postseason, however.
Paul Skenes believes something has changed inside the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse, even though the team will not be playing in October. The Pirates ace recently spoke with SportsNet Pittsburgh’s Hannah Mears about the team’s mindset and how it compared with the past few seasons.