It feels cliche to ponder the possibility of the Pittsburgh Pirates shutting Paul Skenes down, even in what increasingly looks like another lost season for him and his team.
His overall numbers are far from bad relative to the rest of baseball. His 3.88 ERA is fine. His 2.99 FIP, which measures a pitcher's effectiveness independent of the defense behind him, is very good. So is his 1.12 WHIP, which measures walks and hits per innings pitched.
Yes, his velocity is down, noticeably. Skenes topped out at 96.5 mph on Aug. 11, and his season average is at 96.8 mph on his four-seam vs a 98.2 mph average in 2025. No, he doesn't look like the dominant Cy Young-caliber ace he was his first two seasons. And yes, that reality raises existential questions about the club's future, specifically his future with it. He also hasn't fully turned into a proverbial pumpkin the way the narrative around this team would sometimes have one think.
Required Reading: Pirates pull Paul Skenes from start vs. Marlins after just 65 pitches
It nevertheless became a lot harder to ignore the signs that Skenes may not complete the season Aug. 11 in Miami. Manager Don Kelly pulled Skenes after just five innings and 65 pitches against the Marlins, though he said after the game that the decision wasn't injury related.
#marlins #like #measures
His overall numbers are far from bad relative to the rest of baseball. His 3.88 ERA is fine. His 2.99 FIP, which measures a pitcher's effectiveness independent of the defense behind him, is very good. So is his 1.12 WHIP, which measures walks and hits per innings pitched.
Yes, his velocity is down, noticeably. Skenes topped out at 96.5 mph on Aug. 11, and his season average is at 96.8 mph on his four-seam vs a 98.2 mph average in 2025. No, he doesn't look like the dominant Cy Young-caliber ace he was his first two seasons. And yes, that reality raises existential questions about the club's future, specifically his future with it. He also hasn't fully turned into a proverbial pumpkin the way the narrative around this team would sometimes have one think.
Required Reading: Pirates pull Paul Skenes from start vs. Marlins after just 65 pitches
It nevertheless became a lot harder to ignore the signs that Skenes may not complete the season Aug. 11 in Miami. Manager Don Kelly pulled Skenes after just five innings and 65 pitches against the Marlins, though he said after the game that the decision wasn't injury related.
#marlins #like #measures
28 days ago
