Pirates' Paul Skenes Makes History in Final 2025 Start
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes took the mound for the final time in 2025, completing one of the great seasons in MLB history.
Skenes threw six scoreless outings, allowing just four hits, while striking out seven batters over 85 pitches, with the Pirates holding a 2-0 lead over the Reds. The Reds came back and tied the game, 2-2, and again in the 10th inning, but the Pirates would prevail for the 4-3 win in 11 innings.
He finished his 2025 season with a 10-10 record in 32 starts, a 1.97 ERA over 187.2 innings pitched, 216 strikeouts to 42 walks, a .199 opposing batting average and a 0.95 WHIP, along with a 10.36 K/9,a 2.01 BB/9 and a 5.14 K/BB.
Skenes ranks amongst the best pitchers in the MLB with just four games remaining, with the lowest ERA, tied for the third most strikeouts, the fourth lowest WHIP, the sixth lowest batting average and the ninth most innings pitched, plus the fifth best K/BB, seventh best BB/9 and eighth best K/9.
He is the frontrunner for the National League Cy Young Award, but his season transcends just 2025, as it is one of the best in MLB history.
Skenes becomes the first pitcher in MLB history to finish with 200+ strikeouts and a sub-2.00 ERA and still not have a winning record, since ERA became a stat in 1913, according to OptaSTATS. He is also the first NL pitcher with a sub-2.00 ERA and 200+ strikeouts since right-hander Jacob DeGrom did it with the New York Mets in 2018.
He is the first MLB pitcher to finish with a sub-2.00 ERA in a season since right-hander Justin Verlander did so with the Houston Astros in 2022.
Skenes is also the first qualified pitcher to post a sub-2.00 ERA in a season at 23 years or younger, since right-hander Dwight Gooden did so at age 20 with the Mets in 1985, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.
He is also one of four pitchers that achieved that feat, along with left-hander Vida Blue, who did it at age 21 in 1971 with the Oakland Athletics, and right-hander Dean Chance, who achieved it at 23 years old in 1964 with the Los Angeles Angels, according to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com.
Skenes also a strong rookie season in 2024, with a 1.96 ERA over 133.0 innings pitched and a 11.50 K/9, making him the first pitcher ever to have a sub-2.00 ERA, 100+ innings and a 10.0+ K/9 in back-to-back seasons.
He is the third pitcher in the last 50 years of the MLB to have consecutive seasons of 100+ innings pitched and a sub-2.00 ERA, along with Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, 2013 and 2014, plus Atlanta Braves right-hander Greg Maddux, 1994 and 1995.
Skenes also made Pirates history, with his 216 strikeouts the most for a right-handed pitcher in the live-ball era (since 1920). Only Ed Morris, who had 326 strikeouts in 1886 and 298 strikeouts in 1885, the most and second most in a season in franchise history, has more than him.
His 216 strikeouts also rank seventh most in a season in franchise history and fifth most in the live-ball era.
Skenes will become one of three Pirates pitchers to lead the MLB in ERA, with right-hander John Candelaria last doing so in 1977 and right-hander Cy Blanton doing it first in 1935, according to OptaStats.
He also becomes the third Pirates pitcher that had a sub-2.00 ERA and threw 130+ innings in multiple seasons, with right-hander Babe Adams doing so in 1909 and 1919 and right-hander Howie Camnitz in 1908 and 1909, according to Stumpf.
Skenes' 1.97 ERA is the lowest for a Pirates starter with 30 or more starts since Camnitz in 1909, who had a 1.62 ERA in 30 starts.
He also has the lowest opposing batting average and ERAin a season for a qualified pitcher in Pirates history, according to Pirates play-by-play commentator Joe Block.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.