Pirates' Paul Skenes Continues Historic Start to MLB Career
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes has set new standards for excellence in his young MLB career, as he continues his impressive run so far.
Skenes has a 21-12 record over 53 starts, a 1.94 ERA over 311.0 innings pitched, 373 strikeouts, a .195 opposing batting average and a 0.93 WHIP, while also having a 10.79 K/9, a 2.05 BB/9 and a 5.25 K/BB.
He is the only pitcher in MLB history that has had two MLB seasons where he has posted a sub 2.00 ERA, averaged over a 10.00 K/9 and started the All-Star Game, according to OptaSTATS.
Skenes is also the only pitcher that has had at least one season of this in his career, with no other pitcher doing so prior. He also became the first pitcher in MLB history that started an All-Star game in the first two seasons of their career.
In each of his two MLB seasons (so far), the @Pirates' Paul Skenes has:
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) September 11, 2025
posted a sub-2.00 ERA
averaged 10.00+ K/9
started the All-Star Game
No other pitcher in MLB history has had even one such season at any point in his career. pic.twitter.com/2QxMy4wPkR
Skenes had a sensational performance vs. the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Sept. 10, wher he posted eight strikeouts and threw five scoreless innings in a no-decision.
That dropped his career ERA down to 1.94, which is the lowest through the first 53 starts for any pitcher in the live-ball era (since 1920), according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.
Skenes recently dropped his ERA to an historic low of 2.01 after his 51st start against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Aug. 29, where he gave up just one earned run over six innings.
He continued that historic low with six scoreless innings vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park on Sept. 4, dropping it to a 1.97 ERA.
Skenes has dominated this season as well for the Pirates, with 10-9 record over 30 starts, a 1.92 ERA, over 178.0 innings pitched, 203 strikeouts to 39 walks a .193 opposing batting average and a 0.93 WHIP. He also has a 10.26 K/9, a 1.97 BB/9 and a 5.21 K/BB.
He ranks amongst the best pitchers in baseball, with the lowest ERA, third lowest WHIP, tied for the fourth lowest opposing batting average, the fourth most strikeouts and the seventh most innings pitched, plus the fifth best K/BB, seventh best BB/9 and the ninth best K/9.
Skenes is trending towards his first ever National League Cy Young Award and would be just the third Pirates pitcher, along with Vern Law in 1960 and Doug Drabek in 1990.
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.