"Spoon fed": Paul Skenes breaks silence after Bubba Chandler questions Pirates ace’s rapid rise to MLB spotlight

Paul Skenes and Bubba Chandler created a funny moment that quickly caught fans’ attention. The Pittsburgh Pirates teammates were joking about Skenes’ fast rise in Major League Baseball, and Chandler did not hold back during the interview. Chandler teased the Pirates ace by saying Skenes was “spoon fed” because he reached the major leagues so quickly. His comment surprised many fans, but it was clearly meant as friendly locker room banter. When Skenes later heard about the remark, he gave a calm but funny reply.

The moment showed the light side of the Pirates' clubhouse. Even though Skenes is now one of the most talked about pitchers in baseball, his teammates still enjoy pulling his leg. The young pitcher has become a huge name since making his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024. His performances quickly turned him into one of the league’s most exciting arms. But as Chandler’s joke showed, inside the clubhouse Skenes is still just another teammate who can be teased like everyone else.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes responds after teammate Bubba Chandler jokes he was “spoon fed” in fast MLB rise

During the interview, Bubba Chandler explained how Pirates players often joke with Paul Skenes about how quickly he reached the major leagues. Chandler said the team enjoys reminding Skenes about being the first overall pick in the MLB draft and how little time he spent in the minor leagues.

“We always bust his chops on, you know, he’s spoon-fed,” Chandler said. “One, first overall pick, spent 14 minutes in the minor leagues. Like, ‘You just spoon-fed dude, like you didn’t have to grind. You didn’t play in the FCL as I did.’” The comment quickly became a talking point. When Skenes later heard what his teammate said, he gave a playful response of his own.

“I don’t know what Bubba is talking about,” Skenes said. “I’m the one who needs to check my ego? Tell him to look in the mirror. Yeah I’m a grinder, contrary to what people think, I’m a grinder.” The moment showed the easygoing relationship between the two Pirates pitchers. While Skenes has already reached superstar status, he still enjoys the jokes inside the team.

After a strong season with Pittsburgh, Skenes recently represented Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, adding another big milestone to his young career. Meanwhile, Chandler has been focusing on preparing for the upcoming season with the Pirates during Spring Training.

In a recent Spring Training game against the Atlanta Braves, Chandler delivered an impressive outing. During the game, he threw 18 straight fastballs, all called by Pirates catcher Henry Davis. The idea was simple. Davis wanted to test Chandler’s control and see how accurate his fastball could be.

“Plans aren’t a thing,” Chandler said. “Throw the first pitch, and every plan goes out the window. Whatever Henry called, I threw. It felt good coming out.” Chandler ended the game with strong numbers. He threw 66 pitches, with 47 strikes, and created 15 swings and misses. Out of those 66 pitches, 49 were four-seam fastballs.

It was a strong step forward for Chandler after earlier struggles in Grapefruit League games. For the Pirates, moments like these show both competition and friendship inside the team. Players push each other to improve, but they also keep the mood light with jokes like the one Chandler made about Skenes.




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