Pitching Legend Predicted Pirates’ Paul Skenes Issues
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes hasn't pitched up to standards in 2026, and one pitching great thinks he knows exactly why.
Curt Schilling, a six-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion, spoke about Skenes on Twitter and said that he could see Skenes struggling from afar.
Schilling thinks that Skenes' mechanics are to blame and that it isn't surprising to see the Pirates ace not pitch as well as he has.
"The Athletic has an article asking what's wrong with Paul Skenes," Schilling wrote. "Go back and check my social media BEFORE the WBC, and then the posts regarding his mechanics. I am not Carnac, I just did his job for a living and have studied it my entire life. This was predictable, and I predicted it.
The Athletic has an article asking what's wrong with Paul Skenes. Go back and check my social media BEFORE the WBC, and then the posts regarding his mechanics. I am not Carnac, I just did his job for a living and have studied it my entire life. This was predictable, and I…
— Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) August 12, 2026
What is Schilling Referring to?
Schilling sees Skenes as putting too much energy into his pitches, throwing "max effort", which he believes will lead to long-term injuries, requiring Tommy John surgery.
"....Skenes mechanics will make it very hard for him to take on that workload unless he can tone down the effort," Schilling said on Twitter back on Aug. 27, 2025. "He won't LOSE anything, but will gain long term benefits."
Schilling compared Skenes to himself, as he sees Skenes throwing much harder than he actually needs to, which he thinks is because pitchers in the modern game all have this idea of how they generate velocity,
He thinks that Skenes would strike out many more batters if he relied on extension/finish, rather than the "whip" or max effort when he throws a pitch, as he can't locate his fastball as well as he should.
"...Extension and FINISH generate max backspin and velocity AND you can command the fastball. The new way is why pitchers no longer command the FB INSIDE the zone. They can throw strikes, but they cannot repeat fastball location within a 6-8" box, if they could Skenes would punch out 400."
Today it's 'standing tall' vs 'extension', one is extremely stressful the other is not. Someone has made these guys believe max effort 'whip' is the best way to max velocity, it is NOT. Extension and FINISH generate max backspin and velocity AND you can command the fastball. The… https://t.co/VUhhZx33uT
— Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) November 12, 2025
Is There Truth to What Schilling is Saying?
It's an interesting theory from Schilling, who is clearly convinced he knows why Skenes is struggling and even said on Twitter he wouldn't have allowed Skenes to pitch in the World Baseball Classic.
Skenes did pitch for Team USA in the WBC this March, throwing 8.1 innings over two starts and also pitching three innings in an exhibition against the San Francisco Giants, which did ramp up his season earlier than usual.
It still wasn't a drastic increase for Skenes, who would've pitched in more Spring Training games, had he not represented his country in the WBC.
Skenes has seen a drop-off in performance, with a 3.88 ERA in 2026, twice as high as his previous two seasons.
He has also won just three of his past 16 starts, posting a 5.00 ERA during that time, while also lasting just 65 pitches over five innings in the 2-0 loss to the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park on Aug. 11.
Skenes does have a higher arm angle, 26 degrees, which is three degrees higher than his usual 23 degrees he had the past two seasons, which could be an issue, but the Pirates have denied that Skenes is pitching injured.
Maybe most concerning is the loss of fastball velocity, which was an average of 95.7 mph vs. the Marlins, as it usually averages around 97 mph in most starts.
Skenes has vowed to find ways to fix the issues he's going through and that he'll do what he can to end his struggles he's been dealing with.
“Always working on stuff and trying to figure out stuff, whether it’s in the bullpen or catch, play or in the weight room, training room," Skenes said postgame after Marlins start. "So there have probably been some changes as the season's gone on. I don’t think that’ll stop. This year and the future years too.”
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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.