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Paul Skenes Offers an Interesting Theory for His Struggles This Season
Skenes said he never fully ramped up after the tournament, and the Pirates are reviewing mechanical issues after his 10-11 season.
- Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes revealed that participating in the 2026 World Baseball Classic affected his velocity decline, though he cautioned, "There are a lot of other factors, so I don't want to put everything on that."
- After averaging 98.8 mph in 2024, Skenes averaged 96.8 mph this year, as he explained he could not reach his usual velocity levels during spring training after reporting early for the tournament.
- On August 11, 2026, Skenes recorded a season-low 95.7 mph against the Miami Marlins, then threw 96.1 mph against the Kansas City Royals on September 18, 2026, while struggling with offspeed pitches.
- Through 31 starts this season, the pitcher posted a career-worst 3.91 ERA and a 10-11 record, though Skenes acknowledged that while the WBC was a factor, other mechanical issues also played a role.
- Looking toward the 2027 season, Pittsburgh plans to address the pitcher's mechanical issues this offseason, as Skenes emphasized the need to return to his previous Cy Young performance.
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Paul Skenes offers an interesting theory for his struggles this season
Paul Skenes has not at all looked like himself this year, and he has an interesting theory as to why. The Pittsburgh Pirates ace pitcher Skenes spoke this week in an interview to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. During the interview, Skenes said that he believes pitching in the World Baseball Classic before the …
Pirates' Paul Skenes Admits Big World Baseball Classic Mistake
The Pittsburgh Pirates hit the lottery when they drafted Paul Skenes back in 2023. He quickly made his way up to the big leagues in 2024. The dominant pitcher won National League Rookie of the Year honors. Then, he added a Cy Young Award to his accolades in 2025.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources11
Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
L 29%
C 57%
14%
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