Paul Skenes has identified a potential reason for his decrease in pitching velocity this season. The Pittsburgh Pirates player attributed part of the issue to his participation in the World Baseball Classic in March, as reported by Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Skenes stated, "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. It definitely affected the year. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m the only one."
During the World Baseball Classic, Skenes pitched 8 ⅓ innings across two starts for Team USA, allowing one earned run. He further explained that while the drop in velocity was initially intentional, he struggled to return to his typical performance level as the season progressed. "Usually, that time of year, you’re kind of ramping up and it’s a little bit slow," Skenes noted. "You can kind of get onto the slope and find your body. One live [batting practice], you’re topping at 97 [mph], and then the next you’re 98, 99. And that wasn’t the case this year…looking back I don’t think that really helped."
Despite the challenges, Skenes has maintained a respectable performance this season, with a 3.91 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 192 strikeouts in 168 innings. This performance is below the expectations set by his previous accolades, including being named the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year and the 2025 NL Cy Young winner. The absence of the 2027 World Baseball Classic is expected to allow Skenes to follow a normal offseason routine, which may be crucial for the Pirates as they aim for a playoff appearance for the first time since 2015.