Paul Skenes shares heartfelt Veterans Day message, thanks heroes for their service in touching tribute

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes made his second consecutive All-Star game last season and has emerged as one of the top arms in the major leagues.

The two-time All-Star shared a heartfelt Veterans Day message on Tuesday.

"Thank you! veterans. Thank you for your service," Skenes' captioned his Instagram post.

In a post by the Pirates, Skenes hailed them as the "real heroes."

"It's a responsibility that we have to support them because we can never fully repay them," Skenes said.

Paul Skenes had a stellar 2025 season and is in the running for the prestigious NL Cy Young award for a second consecutive year. He is one of the three finalists for the award, competing against Philadelphia Phillies ace Christopher Sanchez and Los Angeles Dodgers' Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The two-time All-Star pitcher is widely considered the favorite to earn his maiden Cy Young title this year after registering historic numbers.

Although Paul Skenes has been one of the best pitchers in the league over the last two seasons, the Pirates have failed to back his performances. Pittsburgh failed to make the postseason for a second consecutive season with Skenes in rotation, raising speculation about the All-Star pitcher's future with the team.

Pirates not willing to part with All-Star ace Paul Skenes

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said teams have inquired about Skenes but Pittsburgh is adamant on keeping hold of the two-time All-Star pitcher.

"The question gets asked, and it's always respectful," Cherington said. "Teams have to ask the question. I suspect that won't end. But the answer's been consistent."

Cherington hinted at pitching reinforcements during the offseason to build around Skenes.

"We believe our pitching is a strength," Cherington said. "Doesn't mean we wouldn't want to add more pitching. We will certainly be opportunistic on the pitching side. There are some things that we'd like to do on the pitching side, but run scoring was the thing that got in our way more than anything. And we've got to add to that."

The Pirates registered a 71-91 record this year and will have to make significant additions in the winter to end their postseason drought.