Skenes' confidence, preparation stands out to Strom
Brent Strom has a pretty impressive track record when it comes to coaching big names and in big games. In addition to coaching Dallas Keuchel during his Cy Young Award winning season in 2015, Strom, 76, has helped guide Cy Young Award finalists in seven of the past eight seasons -- Justin Verlander (2017, 2018, 2019), Framber Valdez (2020), Lance McCullers Jr. (2021) and Zac Gallen (2022, 2023) -- and has served as a major-league pitching coach in the World Series on four occasions with the Astros (2017, 2019, 2021) and Diamondbacks (2023).
Now, entering his 15th season as a pitching coach in the major leagues, Strom gets the opportunity to work with young pitchers like Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller in his new role as the Pirates' assistant pitching coach. Skenes, this year's National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award finalist, is a guy who particularly stands out to Strom, as the two met for the first time during this year's All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas.
“I've had a lot of history with some pretty good pitchers in my time. Dallas Keuchel, (Justin Verlander), (Gerrit) Cole, who you guys are very familiar with, and others. Zach Gallen is a premier-type starting pitcher," Strom said. "The little bit of time I was with Paul, I was just very impressed by the way he prepared and what he went through to get ready for the All-Star Game. It was my first time I ever met him and I remember writing a little short piece, a small scouting report on the American League lineup. I think I took the first six hitters and I kind of wrote down (Aaron) Judge and (Juan) Soto, and it just was on a little piece of paper in pen. I gave him the first six hitters and it was interesting, he said, ‘I think I'll be through with them before we get to the sixth hitter,’ which was pretty impressive of a young pitcher to say, and obviously very confident. The preparation that he puts in and the year he had was exceptional, but now the hard part begins. He’s got to repeat it. The league will catch up to him a little bit, they'll start to understand him a little bit, and so this is a young man I think that will continue to make adjustments. I think he wants to be great, and I think that having that mindset will benefit not only him, but benefit this ball club in a residual way.”
THE ASYLUM
Skenes' confidence, preparation stands out to Strom
Brent Strom has a pretty impressive track record when it comes to coaching big names and in big games. In addition to coaching Dallas Keuchel during his Cy Young Award winning season in 2015, Strom, 76, has helped guide Cy Young Award finalists in seven of the past eight seasons -- Justin Verlander (2017, 2018, 2019), Framber Valdez (2020), Lance McCullers Jr. (2021) and Zac Gallen (2022, 2023) -- and has served as a major-league pitching coach in the World Series on four occasions with the Astros (2017, 2019, 2021) and Diamondbacks (2023).
Now, entering his 15th season as a pitching coach in the major leagues, Strom gets the opportunity to work with young pitchers like Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller in his new role as the Pirates' assistant pitching coach. Skenes, this year's National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award finalist, is a guy who particularly stands out to Strom, as the two met for the first time during this year's All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas.
“I've had a lot of history with some pretty good pitchers in my time. Dallas Keuchel, (Justin Verlander), (Gerrit) Cole, who you guys are very familiar with, and others. Zach Gallen is a premier-type starting pitcher," Strom said. "The little bit of time I was with Paul, I was just very impressed by the way he prepared and what he went through to get ready for the All-Star Game. It was my first time I ever met him and I remember writing a little short piece, a small scouting report on the American League lineup. I think I took the first six hitters and I kind of wrote down (Aaron) Judge and (Juan) Soto, and it just was on a little piece of paper in pen. I gave him the first six hitters and it was interesting, he said, ‘I think I'll be through with them before we get to the sixth hitter,’ which was pretty impressive of a young pitcher to say, and obviously very confident. The preparation that he puts in and the year he had was exceptional, but now the hard part begins. He’s got to repeat it. The league will catch up to him a little bit, they'll start to understand him a little bit, and so this is a young man I think that will continue to make adjustments. I think he wants to be great, and I think that having that mindset will benefit not only him, but benefit this ball club in a residual way.”
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