Paul Skenes is Exposing Pirates Biggest Flaw
In this story:
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates have a huge issue plaguing their team, and that problem revolves around franchise superstar and anchor, Paul Skenes.
Over Skenes' last seven starts, the Pirates have a ghastly record of 0-7 and are 6-10 in all 16 of his starts so far. It's raising a question that is splitting the fanbase, the organization and the rest of the MLB.
What the hell is going on with Paul Skenes? Is something wrong with the Pirates' ace, or is there something else going on? As frustrating as this might be to hear, there is something wrong with Skenes. It's not as big a problem, however, as the team's inability to provide run support to its best player.
The Skenes Issue
There are two problems with Skenes, as best as I can tell. The first is a drop in velocity. According to data compiled from Baseball Savant, Skenes is averaging 97.0 miles per hour on his fastball. That represents another drop in his velocity, continuing a trend that began when he entered the MLB. As a rookie, his fastball regularly hit 98.8 MPH, and that number dropped to 98.2 MPH in 2025.
So, it's fair to say that his fastball has lost just a bit of zip.
The question becomes: is that affecting his ability to get runners out? Well, aside from a few uncharacteristic outings, the answer is no.
Let's look at his last seven starts. Two of those starts were not good, as Skenes allowed five runs against the Philadelphia Phillies and surrendered four runs to the Toronto Blue Jays. The other five starts were routine work for the reigning Cy Young winner, allowing two runs or fewer in those other appearances while pitching at least 4.2 innings per start.
The numbers are just as impressive when you expand the statistics you consider. He's still just as difficult to hit as he has been the past two seasons, evidenced by opponents barreling up just 6% of the pitches Skenes has thrown. He's also struck out 30.1% of the batters he's faced in 2026, which is a bit more than the 29.5% he posted during his Cy Young campaign last season.
The Pirates' Offense is the Problem
The Pirates have had one of the best offenses in the MLB in 2026, leading the league in team hits and ranking in the top five in both team batting average and runs batted in.
Yet, when Skenes is on the bump, the Pirates return to their putrid offensive form that is reminiscent of their last few seasons. In 2025, Skenes received the third-lowest run support among starting pitchers with at least 150 innings pitched.
According to data compiled by Screwball, Skenes is on track to be near the top of that leaderboard again in 2026, despite the team getting off to such a hot start offensively. Skenes currently ranks 42nd in the MLB, with the Pirates averaging 4.74 runs per game when he starts.
That doesn't sound bad, right? The problem is that the trajectory has drastically changed over Skenes's last seven starts. Over his first nine starts of the season, the Pirates registered an impressive 60 runs. Even in the losses, the Buccos were batting.
The last seven starts have been the complete opposite for the Pittsburgh bats. They've been held to two runs or fewer in five of Skenes's last seven starts, and they've posted a total of 19 runs to support Skenes.
That paints a clear picture. Sure, Skenes hasn't been his best. But the bigger issue is the offense supporting him. More accurately, it's the offense's lack of support for him. The Buccos are trying to contend, and they've left their best player out to dry once again. It has to change soon, or this small issue plaguing Skenes will become a much larger one in a hurry.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Jacob is a featured writer covering the Pittsburgh Steelers for Steelers On SI and the NHL for Breakaway On SI. He also co-hosts the All Steelers Talk podcast. Previous work covering the NHL for Inside the Penguins and The Hockey News.