PITTSBURGH – Winless in nine starts since May 12, Pirates ace Paul Skenes is amid the worst stretch of his MLB career. The right-hander’s drought is tied for the second longest by a reigning Cy Young Award winner, just one behind Blake Snell and Jim Perry for the record, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
Despite his substandard run, Skenes did make the right kind of history over the weekend without even taking the mound. With his selection to the National League All-Star team on Saturday, Skenes became the fourth pitcher in MLB history to make the Midsummer Classic in each of his first three seasons, joining Yu Darvish, Dwight Gooden and Tom Seaver.
Skenes likely won’t appear in the game, as he’s slated to pitch Sunday against the Brewers. First, he’ll take on the National League East-leading Braves on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. ET on MLB.TV. Here’s everything to know before Skenes’ 19th start of the season.
Last time out
Skenes’ most recent start, against the Phillies last Wednesday, was the worst of his career. The 24-year-old allowed eight runs (seven earned) on two home runs in four innings, striking out five. Skenes showed noticeable changes in multiple facets of his game during the start.
Skenes’ fastball topped out at 101.9 mph just two years ago as a rookie. Fast-forward to now, and his four-seam ranged from 93.6 mph to 97.9 versus Philadelphia. Skenes averaged 26 98-plus mph pitches per outing in his first 55 MLB starts. He's thrown a combined total of four pitches at 98-plus mph in his last three starts.
The spin rate on Skenes’ four-seam fastball is also way down, moving from 2,318 on April 1 to 1,987 on July 1. When asked postgame about the sudden change in his fastball, Skenes was unsure of the cause.
Facing Atlanta
Skenes has faced the Braves only once in his career, having struck out nine in six innings on June 29, 2024. He allowed only one run, a home run by Jarred Kelenic. The outfielder is now long gone from Atlanta, but a handful of Braves hitters have faced Skenes.
Second baseman Ozzie Albies is 1-for-2 with a single and a walk, while Matt Olson is 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and Austin Riley is 1-for-3 with a single. Skenes has yet to oppose Ronald Acuña Jr. in a Major League game, having faced him in Spring Training only. That trend will continue, as Acuña has been sidelined for nearly a month with a left hamstring strain.
Stat to know: Offspeed run value
Skenes’ offspeed value was in the 100th percentile in all of baseball when he was a rookie. That mark slightly declined in 2025 but remained in the 98th percentile. Skenes is in the 17th percentile for offspeed pitches this season, per Baseball Savant.