Former LSU Pitcher Paul Skenes Logs Back-to-Back 200 Strikeout Seasons
Skenes still reached 200 strikeouts for the second straight season despite a 10-11 record, a 3.82 ERA and career highs in homers and walks.
- Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes reached 200 strikeouts for the second consecutive season on Thursday, pitching 6 1/3 dominant innings in a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Despite maintaining his strikeout dominance, the 24-year-old Skenes finished with a 10-11 record and 3.82 ERA while surrendering career highs of 20 homers and 49 walks.
- Manager Don Kelly allowed Skenes one final opportunity to reach the milestone; Skenes rewarded him by striking out Leo Bernal on his 96th pitch with a 95 mph sinker.
- Skenes became only the second pitcher in franchise history to record 200 strikeouts in consecutive seasons, helping Pittsburgh clinch its first non-losing season since 2018.
- Reflecting on the year, Skenes stated he is not "going to sit around all offseason thinking about how bad this season was," emphasizing lessons learned for 2027.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Former LSU pitcher Paul Skenes logs back-to-back 200 strikeout seasons
PITTSBURGH — Former LSU pitcher Paul Skenes recorded his 200th strikeout of the 2026 season, making him the first Pittsburgh Pirate to do so in back-to-back seasons in sixty years.Skenes became the first Pirates starter with consecutive seasons of over 200 strikeouts since Bob Veale, who did so from 1964 to 1966.Skenes logged a 3.82 ERA this past season. His girlfriend, LSU alumna Livvy Dunne, used the 200th strikeout to snipe back at a commente…
Paul Skenes set an impossible bar, and Pirates ace is undaunted after not meeting it in 2026
Pirates ace Paul Skenes finished an uneven 2026 season with a flourish. Skenes became the second pitcher in team history to record consecutive 200 strikeout seasons when he fanned eight St. Louis Cardinals in what became a 2-1 victory. The…
The Toronto Star
Paul Skenes set an impossible bar. The Pirates ace is undaunted after not meeting it in 2026
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes is only too aware of the impossibly high bar he set for himself during his first two years in the major leagues.
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