Okay, so Paul Skenes, man, the Pirates ace, has been dealing with a major storyline this season: his fastball velocity. It’s dipped, and his explanation for it? Dude just straight-up blamed playing in the World Baseball Classic for why his arm never fully cranked up. Seriously, can you believe that? This isn’t just some minor adjustment, this is a top-tier pitcher pointing fingers at an international tournament for a fundamental change in his game.
The “WBC Curse” on Skenes’ Arm?
Skenes didn’t mince words, telling Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that while there are “a lot of other factors,” he feels like the WBC was “kind of the root of it a little bit.” Think about that. The *root*. It’s one thing to admit a performance dip, but to pinpoint something like the WBC as the primary culprit, that’s a huge statement from a guy whose entire career is built on pure, unadulterated heat. He mentioned his initial velocity drop was intentional, a common strategy for pitchers managing their arm early on. But clearly, something went sideways after that.
That 99 MPH Didn’t Stick This Year
He broke down the whole “ramping up” process that every single pitcher goes through, especially heading into a long MLB season. “Usually, that time of year, you’re kind of ramping up and it’s a little bit slow,” Skenes explained. “You can kind of get onto the slope and find your body. One live [batting practice], you’re topping at 97 [mph], and then the next you’re 98, 99.” That’s the expected progression, right? You build arm strength, you find that extra gear, you get that nasty velocity back. But this year? He said flat out, “And that wasn’t the case this year. … Looking back, I don’t think that really helped.” It sounds like his body just never got back to its normal, dominant rhythm after the WBC, and that’s gotta be incredibly frustrating for a guy who lives for the K.
With the regular season winding down, and Bleacher Report already talking “playoff predictions entering last week,” this isn’t just a bump in the road for Skenes. This is a major red flag he’s gotta deal with heading into the offseason. If the WBC truly messed with his ability to properly ramp up, he’s got a monumental task ahead of him to reset his arm and get back to that consistent 99 mph velocity. For a pitcher like Skenes, his fastball *is* his identity, his weapon. Losing that edge, and specifically blaming an event like the WBC, means serious work ahead to reclaim that pure heat. You gotta wonder if other players who participated are feeling similar effects, or if Skenes just reacted differently. Either way, the entire league will be watching closely to see how he bounces back next season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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