Pirates' Paul Skenes Unique Arsenal Receives High Praise
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Paul Skenes has emerged as one of baseball's most dominant young pitchers. Yesterday, two MLB Network analysts broke down exactly what makes the Pittsburgh Pirate so tough to hit, highlighting his unique combination of velocity and deceptive mechanics. The video analysis from former MLB All-Star and Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy, as well as former MLB player Mark DeRosa, examined what makes the 22-year-old right-hander so effective.
No pitcher in baseball is throwing their fastball harder than Paul Skenes and from as low of an arm angle 🔥@JakePeavy_22 and @markdero7 dissect the @Pirates flamethrower and his elite pitchability. pic.twitter.com/xJlw1gMeVH
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 7, 2025
Peavy pointed to Skenes' ability to maintain elite velocity while working from a low arm angle: "You see, this is at 98 miles an hour as well, right?... He has heads and tails doing this kind of movement with plus plus velocity."
A graphic displayed during the video showed that no pitcher in baseball is throwing their fastball harder and from a lower arm angle than Skenes. Through two starts, Skenes fastball is averaging 98.0 MPH, while his arm angle is being measured at 18.7 degrees. As pointed out by Peavy and Derosa, this is a lower arm angle than Skenes was pitching at in 2024. The screenshot provided below by MLB Network gives you a visual of how significant the change has been.
The analysis also focused on Skenes' signature "splinker" (a splitter-sinker hybrid), which Peavy called "the equalizer" due to its movement profile coming out of the hand similar to his fastball.
DeRosa noted the challenges hitters face against Skenes' repertoire: "From a hitter's perspective, I get shaky because it's like, you only get one shot against a guy like him." He emphasized how Skenes' delivery and pitch movement disrupt timing, saying "they're not seeing the ball. It's by him, it's up and it's down."
While Skenes currently relies heavily on his fastball and splinker, Peavy observed room for growth with his secondary pitches: "This slider is going to get better and you better look out for Paul Skenes." He also suggested that adding a slower pitch could make Skenes even more effective long-term.
The analysis showed Skenes demonstrating advanced pitchability for a rookie, including the ability to work back into counts with his best stuff. Peavy highlighted one sequence where Skenes threw "pitch 101 at 98 [mph]... This is pitch 102 from a three-oh count to sit down."
With his combination of elite velocity, unique arm angle, and developing secondary pitches, Skenes has quickly established himself as one of baseball's most exciting -- and effective -- young arms through his first 25 MLB starts.
Skenes next start will be on Tuesday, as the Pirates host their divisional rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. Sonny Gray (1-0, 5.73 ERA in two 2025 starts) will get the starting nod for St. Louis. First pitch at PNC Park is expected at 6:40 P.M. EST.
Ethan Merrill is from Grand Rapids, MI, and brings with him a diverse background of experiences. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, he worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks for three seasons before settling in the Pittsburgh area in 2020. With a passion for sports and a growing connection to his community, Ethan brings a fresh perspective to covering the Pittsburgh Pirates.