Ever since he came into the MLB, New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has raved about Paul Skenes. It's not often to see a former No. 1 overall pick raving about another.
For the baseball world though, Cole has expressed his support. He's been a part of the Pittsburgh Pirates and sees all the potential with Skenes.
In an article by ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Yankees starter broke down how Skenes can surpass him one day.
“Skenes has the foundation to match that — and exceed it,” Cole said. “He's got more horsepower than me. He's asking better questions early. Questions about diet and sleep. He's asking questions about mechanics, he's tracking his throws.
“He has his own process with people that he surrounds himself with that are not only looking out for his performance right now but his performance long term. That's important for guys to have advocates in their corner, not looking out just for this year. It's really tough to find the right people.”
After all, Skenes won the National League Rookie of the Year award. Not to mention, he places third in CY Young voting, which is absurd for a rookie.
However, it shows how talented and committed the Pirates ace is to the game.
Yankees' Gerrit Cole sees greatness in Paul Skenes
Skenes has already figured out one of the most important elements of the game. Surround yourself with the right people.
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It's not only from a financial side, but a health side as well. For instance, he has trainers analyzing his short and long-term performance.
The resources today are so abundant. They can track pitch speed, break on a ball, what muscles are being worked in a specific pitch, among many other things.
Those are only a glimpse of the improved resources Skenes had, that Cole didn't.
Not to mention, the Pirates have a better understanding of what a No. 1 overall player needs. While they've been fickle the past three seasons, Skenes can help turn the franchise around.
After all, he went 11-3 last season and had a whopping 170 strikeouts and only 30 walks. Numbers like those show that the future is now.
No matter what, Cole will seemingly support Skenes at every level. It seems that the latter is only scratching the surface of what he can become in the MLB.
In a matter of seasons, he can become the face of the league, if he hasn't already.
