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PIT • Pitcher • #30
2 days ago
Skenes stranded a runner in the first inning, then escaped a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the second. He struck out two in the third inning for his first clean frame, then tossed a perfect fourth, collecting five strikeouts before an extended rain delay cut his outing short. Still, the 23-year-old right-hander has given up one or fewer runs in each of his last four starts since his five-run Opening Day start. He’ll take a 3.27 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and a 23/7 K/BB ratio across 22 innings into a start against the Brewers in Milwaukee on Friday.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
7 days ago
Finally, some run support. Skenes received a whopping 16 runs from Pittsburgh’s offense after serving up a solo homer to CJ Abrams in the opening frame and was able to cruise to his third win of the season. He appears to have made an adjustment to generate significantly more horizontal break on his sweeper than in previous outings this season and he also leaned more heavily on his changeup than before. He generated 15 swinging strikes and needed just 88 pitches (60 strikes) to complete six frames, lowering his full-season ERA from 5.25 to 4.00 in the process. He’ll close out a two-start week with a favorable home outing against the Rays on Saturday afternoon.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
13 days ago
Skenes took a no-hitter into the sixth, when Fernando Tatis Jr. singled with one out. Jake Cronenworth had already walked to lead off the inning, so the Padres had a threat going in a 2-0 game. Jackson Merrill, though, grounded into a double play to end it. Skenes lost the shutout when Xander Bogaerts homered with one out in the seventh and was removed immediately afterwards. Skenes has allowed precisely one run in both of his starts since his Oneil Cruz-fueled Opening Day disaster against the Mets. He’ll likely make his next start Monday versus the Nationals.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
20 days ago
Skenes struck out five and walked two on the day; however, he threw just 66 percent of his pitches for strikes, which continues his Opening Day trend of just not being as sharp as we’re used to seeing him. He had 11 whiffs, including six on his four-seamer and three on his changeup, and a 26.2 percent whiff rate is nothing to turn your nose up at. Hopefully, his command can be more pristine next week against the Padres.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
26 days ago
If this game had taken place two days ago, Skenes would have been lifted after 30 pitches and brought back out for the second inning. Alas, that couldn’t happen in the regular season. Skenes made his own trouble by walking Francisco Lindor and Luis Robert Jr. in the first, but the first two hits he allowed were soft singles and the third was a bases-loaded triple that Oneil Cruz misplayed in center. The fourth was a double that Cruz lost in the sun. There was nothing wrong with Skenes’ stuff today, but the Pirates simply couldn’t risk continuing on with him at 37 pitches in the first in the first game of the season. Most likely, Skenes will make his next start Wednesday against the Reds. The Pirates, though, would have the option of bringing him back early if they’d like.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
about 1 month ago
Skenes scattered one hit and three walks, requiring 65 pitches (36 strikes) to navigate four shutout frames in his final spring tune-up. The 23-year-old reigning NL Cy Young Award winner kicks off the season on Thursday with a challenging road tilt against the Mets at Citi Field. He’s one of the top three pitchers off the board in the first or second round of every fantasy draft this spring.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
about 1 month ago
Stunner. He’ll oppose Freddy Peralta in the opener. Skenes’ 2026 fantasy forecast could take a major step forward if the Pirates are able to generate more offense behind him this year. He’s become a routine first-round pick even without generating much in the way of wins, but if the runs lead to wins, his ceiling could be higher in 2026.
Source: Colin Beazley
PIT • Pitcher • #30
about 1 month ago
It’ll be a playoff atmosphere (in mid-March) at loanDepot park in Miami when Skenes squares off against a loaded Dominican Republic lineup that leads the international tournament in runs scored and is coming off a 10-0 shutout win over Korea. United States manager Mark DeRosa told reporters Skenes is slated to throw roughly 75-80 pitches in this outing. It’s a high-profile spot for 23-year-old superstar to face off against one of the best lineups he’s likely to face in his entire career. It’ll be Athletics starter Luis Severino taking the ball for the Dominican Republic. Get your popcorn ready, folks.
Source: Rowan Kavner
PIT • Pitcher • #30
about 1 month ago
Skenes, who topped out at 99.7 mph with his fastball, made it look pretty easy against a solid Mexico lineup tonight, getting 15 whiffs on 31 swings and allowing zero hard-hit balls. He’ll likely pitch again Sunday if Team USA can advance to the semifinals.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
about 2 months ago
Willy Adames led off the top of the first with a double, the lone hit against Skenes, and then came around to score on a pair of groundouts. Skenes needed just 40 pitches to get through three, so he threw a few more in the bullpen afterwards. He’ll make his next start for Team USA against Team Mexico.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
about 2 months ago
Skenes also struck out four, but just 27 of his 53 pitches went for strikes and the four balls in play against him averaged 100.8 mph. That’s fine for his first start of the spring, but ideally, he’ll be a little bit sharper for his World Baseball Classic outings.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
about 2 months ago
Skenes will take the ball in next month’s international showcase after authoring one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory — a microscopic 1.97 ERA paired with a 216/42 K/BB ratio across 187 2/3 innings that culminated in his first Cy Young Award. The numbers weren’t just impressive; they felt disproportionate, like the statistical profile of someone operating on a slightly different axis than the rest of the league. Now he carries that gravity onto a global stage.
Source: The Athletic
PIT • Pitcher • #30
2 months ago
There was a report last month that Skenes was working on something called a “sleeper,” that was supposed to be a slower version of his sweeper, but he debunked that today. He also said he’s no longer experimenting with the cutter he tried last spring. He needs to give MLB hitters some sort of chance, after all.
Source: Kevin Gorman
PIT • Pitcher • #30
5 months ago
“I got shown the tweet and got some texts about it. Didn’t think much about it,” Skenes said on his Cy Young conference call. “I’m on the Pirates. My goal is to win with the Pirates.” Skenes is under team control through 2028, and the Pirates have made it clear he won’t be traded this winter. “The way that fans see us outside of Pittsburgh, we’re not supposed to win,” Skenes said. “There are 29 fan bases that expect us to lose. I want to be a part of the 26 guys that change that.”
Source: The Athletic
PIT • Pitcher • #30
5 months ago
As expected, it was a landslide, with the right-hander taking all 30 first-place votes. Cristopher Sánchez received all 30 second-place votes, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto finished third. Skenes finished with a win-loss record of just 10-10, but voters saw through it with a 1.97 ERA, 216/42 K/BB over his 187 2/3 innings with the Pirates. It’s the second time a player has won the award a year after winning the Cy Young, joining Doc Gooden. He’ll deservedly be one of the first pitchers off the board come 2026.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
6 months ago
Skenes represents the overwhelming favorite to capture his second consecutive Cy Young Award after leading the majors with microscopic 1.97 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 216/42 K/BB ratio across 187 2/3 innings over 32 starts. Yamamoto has already collected some hardware this postseason, earning World Series MVP honors after a historic Fall Classic performance. The 27-year-old right-hander posted a 2.49 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 201/59 K/BB ratio across 173 2/3 innings in 30 regular-season starts, then followed it up with a 1.45 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 33/6 K/BB ratio over 36 2/3 postseason innings. Sánchez represents the dark-horse candidate despite continuing to establish himself among the National League’s elite arms with a 2.50 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 212/44 K/BB ratio across 202 innings over 32 starts. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, November 12.
Source: MLB
PIT • Pitcher • #30
7 months ago
Skenes put the finishing touches on what will soon be his first Cy Young winning campaign and ironically, was unable to come out with a victory despite not allowing a run. It was the 16th time this season he allowed two runs or fewer and didn’t earn the win. Alas, he mixed his deep repertoire beautifully and forced nine swings-and-misses with his fastball mostly at the top of the zone. He’ll end his first full season with a sterling 1.97 ERA and 216 strikeouts over 187 2/3 innings. That was somehow good for a 10-10 record.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
7 months ago
Skenes was lifted after allowing a pair of two-out baserunners in the fourth inning after throwing 92 pitches (58 strikes) in the abbreviated outing. The 23-year-old struggled uncharacteristically with his control, handing out three free passes. He also gave up seven hard-hit batted ball events with exit velocities over 100 mph, including a leadoff homer to Michael Busch. It was an extremely rare clunker for one of the most consistent aces in the fantasy landscape. He’ll aim to rebound early next week when he faces off against the Reds in what could potentially be his final start of the season.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
7 months ago
Skenes spun another gem, silencing Baltimore’s lineup for five frames while yielding just two hits and lowering his ERA to a sparkling 1.92 across 178 innings over 30 starts. The 23-year-old flamethrower struck out eight and threw 64 pitches (43 for strikes) before being lifted early as Pittsburgh continues to protect his workload down the stretch. It was the sort of abbreviated masterpiece that managed to be both overpowering and incomplete — dominance defined as much by what we didn’t see as by what we did. He’ll square off against the Cubs on Monday in his next start.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
8 months ago
Had this one been played in Dodger Stadium, Skenes would have given up homers to Dalton Rushing in the third and Freddie Freeman in the sixth, says Statcast. Fortunately, though, it was a home start at PNC Park. Skenes improved to 6-4 with a 1.54 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP in Pittsburgh this year. He has a somewhat more human 2.43 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP on the road. Skenes’ next start figures to come Wednesday in Baltimore.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
8 months ago
Skenes gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out six. The win was his ninth of the year. The 23-year-old right-hander has recorded at least six strikeouts in nine of his last 10 games. Skenes has a 2.05 ERA and 187/38 K/BB ratio in 167 innings this year. He’s lined up to face the Dodgers at home next week.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
8 months ago
Skenes struck out seven and walked none in his longest outing since early June. It’s the ninth time this year that he’s allowed no runs, and he also has two more in which he allowed just one unearned run. The win moves him to 8-9 with a 2.07 ERA. He’s now made 50 career starts with a 2.02 ERA and a 351/69 K/BB in 294 innings. No. 51 will be his first in Boston against the Red Sox.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
8 months ago
The Pirates pulled this one out after Skenes left a 2-2 game and improved to 13-13 in their ace’s starts this season. Skenes himself remained 7-9 with a 2.16 ERA. He’s allowed two runs or fewer in 21 of his 26 starts, and he should make it 22 in a home start against the Rockies on Sunday.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
8 months ago
A rare disappointing effort from Skenes. The right-hander struggled from the jump, as he gave up a leadoff homer to Sal Frelick. He would allow a second homer to Brice Turang, and there was also RBI singles from William Contreras and Frelick. Pobody’s nerfect. Even with the struggles, Skenes still has a 2.13 ERA, and is a good bet to be much better against the Blue Jays on Monday.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
9 months ago
Skenes piled up eight strikeouts on the evening and did not allow a base on balls. The biggest threat against him came in the opening inning as the Reds put two men on with only one out, but Skenes got Austin Hays to ground into a double play to end the threat. He generated 11 swings and misses on 97 pitches on the night — six of those on his fastball — while posting a CSW of 31 percent. Astonishingly, Skenes has not allowed a run at PNC Park since June 8. Now 7-8 on the season, he’ll carry an outstanding 1.94 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and a 162/34 K/BB ratio (144 innings) into Tuesday’s showdown against the Brewers in Milwaukee.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
9 months ago
Skenes got through five relatively easy innings, scattering three baserunners before the Rockies got the better of him in the sixth in Coors Field. A base hit and a walk to start the inning put two runners on for Jordan Beck, who took Skenes deep for a three-run blast to put the Rockies on the board. The next batter followed with a double to knock Skenes from the game with no outs in the frame. That runner would eventually come in to score. Skenes struck out eight. The 23-year-old right-hander will take a 2.02 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and a 154/34 K/BB ratio across 138 innings into a start against the Reds in Pittsburgh on Thursday.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
9 months ago
Skenes allowed three hits on the day while throwing 62 of his 99 pitches for strikes. He posted a 41 percent whiff rate on the back of 12 combined whiffs on 17 swings on the sweeper and changeup. He was never much threatened in this one, and the Pirates finally gave him some run support to get a win. He’ll take a 1.83 ERA into a start in Coors next week.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
9 months ago
He was threatened once tonight after Parker Meadows led off the third with a double. An infield single followed, but Meadows couldn’t take third on the roller to third and then failed to score after a flyout, a groundout and a strikeout of Gleyber Torres. Skenes had taken no-decisions in his previous three starts in which he allowed no runs, and he was 0-3 with a 1.77 ERA in eight starts since beating the Diamondbacks on May 28. He’s now 5-8 with a 1.91 ERA overall.
PIT • Pitcher • #30
9 months ago
Skenes authored a dominant performance in his second consecutive Midsummer Classic start for the National League, striking out Tigers stars Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene on a triple-digit heaters before coaxing a harmless groundout from Aaron Judge to cap a flawless opening frame. The 23-year-old fantasy ace closed out the first half with a major league-leading 2.01 ERA and 131/30 K/BB ratio across 121 innings (20 starts). He’ll kick off the second half with a favorable matchup this weekend against the rebuilding White Sox.