Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young winner and former No. 1 overall pick, is seriously scuffling. We’re talking about a legitimate chance this Wednesday’s matinee against the Detroit Tigers is his last start of the 2026 season. It’s a rubber match, and both the Tigers and Pirates have been big disappointments this year, likely missing the postseason, but Skenes’ struggles are a story all their own.
Something’s Off with Skenes, And It’s Not Just His Record
Look, his overall 9-11 record with a 3.88 ERA isn’t great, but the real alarm bells are ringing for what’s happened since June 9. In his 11 starts since then, Skenes is just 3-5 with a brutal 5.28 ERA. The Pirates aren’t doing him any favors either, going 3-8 in those games. Manager Don Kelly even pushed Skenes’ scheduled start from Sunday against Boston to Wednesday. While Skenes says he’s healthy, you can’t ignore the noticeable drop in his velocity. Betting on the Pirates when Skenes pitches this season? You’d be down nearly a thousand bucks. That’s a brutal trend for any pitcher, let alone a Cy Young winner.
The Mechanics Mystery: Where Did the Whiff Go?
Apparently, everything changed for Skenes around midseason, specifically June 9, when he tweaked his pitching mechanics. SI’s Tom Verducci, a total legend, did a deep dive on this. Skenes adjusted his stride, making it less crossfire than ever before. This change apparently led to Skenes releasing the baseball with 8-9 inches less offset from the center line of the plate. Sounds technical, right? Well, the results are anything but. Before June 9, right-handed hitters were batting a measly .193 and slugging .307 against him. Since the change, those numbers have shot up to .301 and .470. Righties are absolutely crushing him. In his last start in Miami, Skenes only went 65 pitches, averaged a career-low 95.7 mph on his fastball, and induced just four misses on 34 swings, resulting in a career-low 12% whiff rate. That’s not the Skenes we know.
The 12:35 p.m. ET start today against Detroit is a massive one for Paul Skenes. Will he find something to turn it around, or will this potentially be the final time we see the ace on the mound in 2026? It’s a must-watch for any baseball fan.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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