Cherington: 'Balance' between planning, unleashing Jones, Skenes

There is always a fine line to walk when managing top prospects.

Ben Cherington and the Pirates front office spent the offseason meticulously planning out the pathways for all of their prospects, but no plans are under larger microscopes than the ones in place for red-hot rookie Jared Jones and last year's top pick Paul Skenes.

“It is, balance is the right word. It’s a good word," Cherington said before Wednesday's game at PNC Park. "We’re trying to win games and it’s that balance between the battle of the day and the war over the next six months -- five, six months. That’s what we’re trying to toggle back and forth all the time and try to put guys in the best position to help us win the battle of the day and help us win the war over the longer period of time. We don’t have any sort of secret, perfect recipe on how to do that, but we’re trying to do the best we can every day.”

That answer from Cherington Wednesday came in response to my question about why Jones, who has been as piping hot as any pitcher in baseball, was pulled after throwing 59 pitches and 50 for strikes last Tuesday in New York. During his radio show Sunday, Cherington passed the buck to the coaching staff for the responsibility of limiting Jones in that start by using similar language about balancing the battle with the war.

“The staff decided on their own that we’re going to hold him a little bit short this time,” Cherington said Sunday during his weekly radio show. “It’s a long season and we want Jared Jones to be part of this for the long season. I really respect their decision. It’s not easy to do that in the middle of a game you’ve got a chance to win with a guy pitching as well as he was. I really respect that decision, to have some perspective that this is a long war we’re fighting in 2024 and there’s these individual daily battles we’re trying to win. We’re trying to make decisions to do both, win the small battles and win the war.”

Jones has started off of five days of rest in each of his starts this season except that one. He was on four-days rest prior to that start in New York. After a period of normal rest, Jones allowed a solo home run and struck out seven in six innings Monday against the Brewers. He threw 91 pitches and 63 strikes in that start.

But the baseball universe is watching Class AAA Indianapolis as closely as Cherington and his staff are. Every pitch Skenes throws is must-watch for even the most casual of fans. The MiLB.TV service has broadcasted every pitch Skenes has thrown this season for free for everyone to stream, and that recurring show has become one of the best in all professional levels of baseball. 

On Wednesday afternoon, Skenes pitched 4 1/3 innings and threw 71 pitches. Both are career highs and are the latest in a meticulous ramp-up for the top pitching prospect in baseball. 

Skenes has been dominant this season. He boasts a 0.53 ERA and has struck out 34 in 17.0 innings in his five Class AAA starts.

Cherington's main takeaway of Skenes' 2024 is on-par with what every one else is seeing.

"He just keeps getting better," Cherington said. "We see the pitch mix coming into form. Working on efficiency, when he’s using the secondary and starting to build the pitch count up now. Not surprised that he’s having success, but more underneath that just being intentional about what he’s doing. He’s working on things that will allow him to be a good major league pitcher and more than just he’s trying to be a good Triple-A pitcher.”

Skenes' last three starts have resulted in 55, 65, and 71 pitches thrown. He took the mound to begin the fifth inning Wednesday, which was the first time he did that as a professional. Cherington considers these plans around his young starters to be on a case-by-case basis. With respect to Skenes, they still want to see his pitch counts increase.

“It’s a balance. We want to be transparent and honest about what the goals are," Cherington said. "Certainly in a case where someone is building up a pitch count like Paul is, he is aware that it’s going to go in steps and it’s not going to all come at once. At the same time, we want them to be free to go perform, any player, not just a pitcher. We want players to feel free to perform. At some level, too much information is not necessarily is not good for that. Even that is case-by-case, you have to know the player and human being and how much is appropriate with this particular guy. We always want to be truthful and honest and transparent. It’s a question of how much information sometimes we would deliver and that’s case-by-case.”

There are some similarities to point out between Skenes and former No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg when he was getting set to turn professional and after he was drafted in 2009. The similarities don't necessarily regard the styles in which they pitch, but with how each prospect has been and was handled once they mane their anticipated professional debuts. 

Despite being considered MLB-ready by he time he was drafted, Strasburg made 11 starts in Class AA and Class AAA in 2010 and made his major-league debut in June of that year. Cherington acknowledged that there is something to that specific case and process.

"We look at every case, including that one," Cherington said. "Every case is a little bit different. We were reminded when we were looking into Paul's case coming into spring training, even the most highly decorated, highly drafted college pitchers who went on to have a lot of success, even that cohort, which is not a real big group, they pitched quite a bit in the minor leagues. Not years in the minor leagues always, but they all pitched a decent amount in the minor leagues. 

"There is something to that. There is something to working through some of the stuff that you have to experience in pro ball, with the scheduling differences and the adjustments that professional hitters will make. I think there's something to it, for sure. There's value in that experience. It's just a question of how much does one need. As I said before, usually pitchers will tell us that."