Pirates' Paul Skenes Admits One Reason Behind 2026 Struggles
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes is far from his best pitching in his first two seasons, but there's one big reason for that.
Skenes spoke with Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and said that the one thing that's caused some of his issues is the World Baseball Classic.
The Pirates ace pitched for Team USA and made two starts in the tournament, where they finished runners-up to Venezuela.
"There are a lot of other factors, so I don't want to put everything on that," Skenes said to Beazley. "But I feel like that was kind of the root of it a little bit."
Why Pitching in the WBC Hurt Skenes
Skenes, like all the other WBC participant, started his season earlier than normal, as he ramped up to get ready for top-level competition.
WBC pitchers reported two days prior to Pirates' Spring Training at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla. on Feb. 9, while the rest of the pitchers came two days later on Feb. 11.
The report date is also not the first date Skenes or other pitchers start getting ready for Spring Training, as he was down in West Palm Beach, Fla., preparing well before that.
Skenes pitched three times for Team USA, against the San Francisco Giants in an exhibition, vs. Team Mexico in Pool Play and then against Team Dominican Republic in the Semifinals.
He threw 10.1 innings total over those three starts and made two starts with the Pirates in Spring Training before the regular season began.
Skenes struggled on Opening Day against the New York Mets at Citi Field, bounced back for a 1.09 ERA over his next eight starts, but has posted a 4.73 ERA since mid-May over his past 22 starts, with a 4-9 record too.
He told Beazley that he ramped up faster than normal, rather than going through Spring Training and taking time to get his body completely ready, so the WBC didn't help him in that regard.
Where Skenes Has Struggled the Most
It's not been all terrible for Skenes, whose expected stats are still good, and has shown he can strikeout batters almost as much as last season.
Skenes' four-seam fastball velocity has dropped massively, averaging 96.8 mph, after throwing 98.2 mph in 2025 and 98.8 mph as a rookie in 2024.
It's also fluctuated as well, as he threw a season-low 95.7 mph against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Stadium on Aug. 11, got it back up in subsequent starts, but then had it drop down again to 96.1 mph in his last start vs. the Kansas City Royals at PNC Park on Sept. 18.
Skenes has also struggled with his offspeed, as his sinker and changeup have been much less effective this season, so it's not just velocity.
There have been some mechancial issues for Skenes, which he's worked through, but he will need this offseason to fix.
Pittsburgh missed out on the postseason this year, but they will need Skenes back at his best if they want to make it next season.
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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.