Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes is generally seen as one of the top pitchers in all of baseball.
But over his last few starts, Skenes hasn’t looked very much like the dominant ace the league has come to know. In his last three starts, Skenes has allowed 13 runs over 14.1 innings pitched.
His command has been problematic, with the right-hander walking 10 batters over this stretch.
Paul Skenes’ Recent Issues
Here is how his last three starts have gone:
vs Chicago Cubs: 5.1 innings, five earned runs, six hits allowed, two walks, and 11 strikeouts
@ Cincinnati Reds: 4.0 innings, five earned runs, seven hits allowed, four walks, and seven strikeouts
@ Milwaukee Brewers: 5.0 innings, three earned runs, two hits allowed, four walks, and six strikeouts
Why Has Paul Skenes Been Struggling?
Pirates insider Noah Hiles of Bucco Territory reflected on the recent struggles from Skenes, hinting at fatigue as the main problem.
“You’re seeing a guy who I think the command isn’t as sharp, the location just isn’t there. And to me that says one of two things: that he is either injured and not telling anyone, which is a major problem. I don’t anticipate that being the case because I mean, how many players are more important to their franchise than Paul Skenes here in Pittsburgh? If there was something remotely wrong physically, I would have to assume he would be on the IL right now,” Hiles said.
“So it leaves me to belief its probablt the second thing in my mind, and that’s just fatigue. I don’t know if it’s World Baseball Classic; I don’t necessarily subscribe to that theory. Maybe it was something different he did in the offseason.”
Can Paul Skenes Turn His 2026 Season Around?
After posting two straight years with an ERA under 2.00, Skenes is in line for a much poorer season. Overall, the right-hander owns a record of 9-10 with a 3.96 ERA over 24 starts with 162 strikeouts.
Even with his recent numbers, Skenes is still having a good season. But it’s just not the dominant year that many were hoping to see from the ace again.
Skenes is good enough to bounce back from this recent skid, and if he can, maybe the Pirates could get back to contention. On the year, Pittsburgh owns a record of 57-59, sitting in fourth place within the National League Central division.
Pittsburgh has relied heavily on Skenes to keep them in the playoff race, and his recent issues have seen the team tumble down the standings. It hasn’t just been Skenes’ performance, but the team itself has gone 3-7 over its last 10 games overall.
The Pirates are still in the race for a wild-card spot, but they will need Skenes to be at his best in order to claim it. The NL is loaded with talent this season, and the ace for the postseason is as crowded as ever.
Having Skenes typically gives the Pirates an edge on the mound when he pitches, so the team will need their ace to perform well down the stretch. The last time Pittsburgh made the playoffs was in 2015, so unless this team turns it around, the long drought will continue.
Pirates Insider Reveals Worrisome Reason Paul Skenes is Struggling