Paul Skenes has fallen back to earth in 2026. The Pirates ace is intent on staying the course
Skenes allowed three runs and four walks as the Pirates rallied late for a 4-3 win, despite his top-10 strikeout total.
- Following Wednesday's 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes pitched 4 1/3 innings while working to tune out external noise surrounding his recent struggles.
- High expectations stem from Skenes winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2024 and NL Cy Young in 2025, though he remains only months removed from his 24th birthday.
- Teammate Brandon Lowe said "the world's been spoiled on who Paul Skenes really is," while Entering Wednesday, Skenes' FIP was nearly a full run lower than his ERA , suggesting defensive impact.
- Against Detroit, Skenes allowed three earned runs on four hits while throwing just 46 of his 81 pitches for strikes, requiring 24 pitches to escape the first inning.
- With The Pirates 5.5 games back at 63-66 in the wild-card race, Skenes told reporters his focus remains on "what's real and what's not"—objective execution rather than outside criticism.
24 Articles
24 Articles
"Paul Skenes is washed";"Need Olivia Dunne to break his heart" - Fans blast Pirates ace after another tough outing and defeat
After winning the prestigious NL Cy Young Award in 2025, Paul Skenes was expected to continue dominating on the mound in 2026. However, things have not gone to plan for the youngster this season.
Paul Skenes pulled early again — even after Pirates pushed back start
The Pirates gave Paul Skenes extra time to get things back on track. But Skenes lasted just 4 1/3 innings on Wednesday, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts, though Pittsburgh did secure a 4-3 win over the Tigers.
Associated Press News
Paul Skenes has fallen back to earth in 2026. The Pirates ace is intent on staying the course
Pirates ace Paul Skenes is confident he can make a late-season push following the most challenging stretch of his career.
Extra Rest Doesn't Do the Trick for Pirates' Paul Skenes as Struggles Continue
Photo provided by Matt Lynch PITTSBURGH — In hopes of getting the reigning National League Cy Young winner back on track, the Pirates decided to give Paul Skenes some extra rest in between starts. Skenes was originally scheduled to pitch on Sunday against the Red Sox, but the team informed him on Saturday that they would be pushing his start back to Wednesday to give him some extra recovery time. The strategy didn’t work. Skenes was unable to es…
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