Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes has pointed to his participation in the World Baseball Classic as the root cause of his decreased velocity and inflated numbers during the Major League Baseball season, according to reports from multiple sports outlets. Skenes, who captured the National League Cy Young Award after earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, saw his ERA jump significantly while his fastball velocity dipped across 31 appearances.
Velocity Drop Traced to International Workload
A Sharp Statistical Reversal on the Mound
The stark shift in performance has turned heads across baseball. In his first 55 career appearances, Skenes maintained a stellar 1.96 ERA alongside 386 strikeouts, establishing himself as one of the game’s most dominant arms. However, his ERA climbed to 3.91 this season, accompanied by a 10-11 record over 168.0 innings pitched. He surrendered 81 earned runs—36 more than the previous campaign—while watching his four-seam fastball average drop from 98.8 mph in 2024 and 98.2 mph in 2025 down to 96.8 mph this season, according to league data.
The Catalyst Behind Early-Season Struggles
Addressing reporters regarding his struggles, Skenes acknowledged multiple contributing factors but singled out his early-season international workload as the primary catalyst. “There are a lot of other factors, so I don’t want to put everything on that. But I feel like that was kind of the root of it a little bit,” Skenes said, as noted by Underdog MLB and further detailed by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Disrupted Spring Buildup and High-Leverage Innings
The right-hander explained that the compressed schedule of the international tournament disrupted his traditional spring buildup. Instead of gradually increasing intensity through standard Grapefruit or Cactus League action, Skenes stepped directly into high-leverage international competition. During the tournament, he made two starts for Team USA—pitching 8.1 innings while allowing just one earned run, a home run to Junior Caminero, while striking out nine batters and issuing a single walk in games against the Dominican Republic.
The Toll of Competing on the Global Stage
“Regularly, in that time of the year, you’re preparing and the process tends to be a bit slow,” Skenes explained. “You can, in a way, ease into the slope and find your rhythm. In one practice you can be touching 97 mph and the next you’re throwing 98 or 99. And that wasn’t the case for this year.” He added bluntly, “Definitively affected the year. Unfortunately, don’t think I’m the only one.”
Front Offices Weigh National Duty Against Club Goals
While the tournament draws massive global audiences and showcases premier talent, velocity dips and early-season fatigue among participants frequently fuel friction between national team commitments and Major League club objectives. Skenes finished his campaign with 192 strikeouts against 198 total hits and walks, pointing directly back to March as the moment his rhythm derailed.
