Brandon Brown
Pittsburgh Pirates super prospect Paul Skenes, the devastating right-hander, made his second major league debut on Friday. Just like his big league debut, this one came against the Chicago Cubs (PIT-CHC GameTracker). Typically, facing a lineup in back-to-back games — especially an above-average offense like the Cubs’ — benefits hitters by virtue of familiarity and proximity. Such an advantage, however, was not in evidence Friday at Wrigley, when Skenes ended up writing the following line on his second trip to the mound:
As you can see, Skenes hit multiple Cubs and also didn’t allow a base hit. Skenes also recorded six ground-outs against one fly-out and averaged 99.3 mph on his fastball. In all, he induced 22 whiffs in 54 at-bats from Chicago hitters. Those 11 strikeouts tie the Pirates Wrigley Field record.
Of note is that Skenes, who turns 22 on May 29, struck out the first seven batters he faced. That came tantalizingly close to the modern-era major league record for strikeouts to start a game. The record is nine in a row, set by Pablo López, then of the Marlins, in 2021.
Opinions vary, but it says here that Skenes’ most impressive pitch of the day was the one that secured his sixth strikeout:
Triple-digit heat plus all that lateral arm movement makes for a devastating fastball, to say the least. He is more than “just” that lead offer. Skenes also often mixes a hard slider and splitter that he throws with a sinker and therefore calls it a “splinker.” Here’s a look:
There is also a less commonly used turn and shift in your toolkit.
Of note is that Skenes retired the first 13 batters he faced and thus made a perfect game bid in the fifth inning. Michael Busch was the first Cub to reach, as he drew an eight-pitch walk off Skenes with one out in the fifth. That said, the seventh pitch of the plate appearance, a splinker, appeared to hit the outside corner for strike three. However, referee Brian O’Nora ruled ball three. Skenes recovered to get the next batter for his 10th strikeout.
After Skenes completed the sixth, he reached 100 pitches, which was the highest pitch count of his professional career by a substantial margin. That’s why, even though Skenes had yet to allow a hit, Pirates manager Derek Shelton lifted him and went to the bullpen. He left the game with an 8-0 lead. As such, Skenes’ unsuccessful bid became a unsuccessful combined bid and lasted two more eliminations. With two outs in the seventh, Christopher Morel was able to throw an opposite-field single to reliever Carmen Mlodzinski and thus put an end to the developing situation.
With the excellent effort, Skenes was able to reduce his ERA for the season from 6.75 after one start to 2.70 after two. He now has 18 strikeouts against three walks in 10 innings of work. In other words, the top overall pick in the 2023 draft and perhaps the most hyped pitching prospect since Stephen Straburg has lived up to the hype so far. This is largely due to Skenes’ dominance on Friday.
