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Ever since Paul Skenes made his MLB debut back during the 2024 season, he’s been one of, if not the best, pitchers in the sport.
However, the 2026 version of Skenes isn’t necessarily the one the Pittsburgh Pirates envisioned when they made a push over the offseason to build a playoff roster centered on their superstar pitcher.
Skenes’ stats aren’t terrible when you compare them to the rest of Major League starters. He owns a 3.62 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP in 18 starts.
Skenes only pitched 4.0 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday evening. He gave up six hits and allowed a career-high seven earned runs. This start is just one of multiple for Skenes over the last six weeks.
Manager Don Kelly noted that Skenes' rough outing in Philadelphia could have been due to the heat, which is fair; it was 96 degrees at first pitch.
However, this start comes in what has been one of Skenes’ roughest stretches of his career, which can’t be ignored.
Jun 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Since May 17, the Pirates starter has a 5.36 ERA (28 ER/ 47.0 IP) and a 1.40 WHIP.
Skenes is still striking batters out at an elite rate (30.0 K%) and not allowing any free passes (7.1 BB%). The pitcher’s problem is that he’s been getting hit; hit hard. Over this stretch, Skenes has an opponent average exit velocity of 90.4 mph and a hard-hit rate of 45.3 percent.
Perhaps all of the hard contact Skenes has given up has something to do with his own fastball velocity, which has dipped over the entirely of the season. Skenes had a fastball velocity of 98.8 mph in 2024 and 98.1 mph in 2025, but in 2026, it dropped to 96.9 mph.
Pirates GM Ben Cherrington recently downplayed any concerns about how hard Skenes has been throwing, or not throwing, but the stats do tell a different story.
It’s too soon to ring all of the alarm bells because there are still some encouraging parts of Skenes’ game, such as the strikeouts. However, the Pirates still need to determine the core of the issue.
Pirates Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Pirates. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
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However, the 2026 version of Skenes isn’t necessarily the one the Pittsburgh Pirates envisioned when they made a push over the offseason to build a playoff roster centered on their superstar pitcher.
Skenes’ stats aren’t terrible when you compare them to the rest of Major League starters. He owns a 3.62 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP in 18 starts.
Skenes only pitched 4.0 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday evening. He gave up six hits and allowed a career-high seven earned runs. This start is just one of multiple for Skenes over the last six weeks.
Manager Don Kelly noted that Skenes' rough outing in Philadelphia could have been due to the heat, which is fair; it was 96 degrees at first pitch.
However, this start comes in what has been one of Skenes’ roughest stretches of his career, which can’t be ignored.
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Jun 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Since May 17, the Pirates starter has a 5.36 ERA (28 ER/ 47.0 IP) and a 1.40 WHIP.
Skenes is still striking batters out at an elite rate (30.0 K%) and not allowing any free passes (7.1 BB%). The pitcher’s problem is that he’s been getting hit; hit hard. Over this stretch, Skenes has an opponent average exit velocity of 90.4 mph and a hard-hit rate of 45.3 percent.
Perhaps all of the hard contact Skenes has given up has something to do with his own fastball velocity, which has dipped over the entirely of the season. Skenes had a fastball velocity of 98.8 mph in 2024 and 98.1 mph in 2025, but in 2026, it dropped to 96.9 mph.
Pirates GM Ben Cherrington recently downplayed any concerns about how hard Skenes has been throwing, or not throwing, but the stats do tell a different story.
It’s too soon to ring all of the alarm bells because there are still some encouraging parts of Skenes’ game, such as the strikeouts. However, the Pirates still need to determine the core of the issue.
Pirates Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Pirates. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
Continue reading...
