Pittsburgh Pirates Starting Pitcher Paul Skenes continues to take the league by storm in his rookie campaign. He tossed six innings and surrendered two earned runs while striking out nine on Wednesday on the road. The Pittsburgh Pirates coasted to a 10-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers thanks in large part to the performance of Skenes. He came out of the gates firing on all cylinders as he had four strikeouts in his first time through the order.
Skenes has been great in his four starts in Major League Baseball as the Pirates are also 3-1 in his starts this season. Skenes is 2-0 this season with an ERA of 2.45. How will he fare in his next start?
Paul Skenes Career Summary
Paul Skenes through four MLB starts 👀 pic.twitter.com/aGZOII9CZp
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 30, 2024
Skenes entered Major League Baseball with lofty expectations as he was the No.1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of LSU. He was ranked as the No. 2 prospect before the beginning of the regular season behind only Jackson Holliday of the Baltimore Orioles.
Skenes made his long-awaited debut on May 11 against the Chicago Cubs. He surrendered three runs over four innings of work while striking out seven. His second start, also against the Cubs, was an absolute masterpiece. He tossed six no-hit innings and struck out his first seven hitters of the ballgame. Skenes finished with 11 strikeouts in the game. The combined no-hit bid was ended in the seventh inning for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
His third career career start came against the San Francisco Giants and he surrendered one earned run over six innings of work and struck out only three batters.
Pittsburgh Pirates Season Summary
Pittsburgh(26-30) is fourth in the National League Central and is seven games back of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. The Pirates have had a slightly below-average offense this regular season. They are 25th in batting average, 22nd in runs scored, and 19th in home runs. The Pittsburgh Pirates offense is led by First Baseman Connor Joe and Left Fielder Bryan Reynolds. Joe is 26th in the entire league with a batting average of .286 and leads the ballclub in OPS. Reynolds leads the team in both RBI and hits.
The pitching staff has been average this regular season. They are 16th in ERA, 18th in strikeouts, and 17th in opposing batting average. Their staff is led by Mitch Keller who is tied for the eighth in the league with six wins. Starting Pitcher Jared Jones is also top 20 in the league in strikeouts.
When Is The Next Time Skenes Will Take The Mound?
The next scheduled start for Skenes is on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles features one of the best offenses in the league and will be the stiffest test of Skenes’ young career up until this point. Even though the MLB career of Skenes is just getting started, he is already one of the most electrifying pitchers in the league. The Pittsburgh Pirates have found the ace of their rotation for years to come.
The Pittsburgh Pirates begin a three-game set tonight on the road against the Toronto Blue Jays before heading home for a three-game set with the aforementioned Dodgers.
About The Author
Justin has always loved sports. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated and 247Sports. He is always willing to talk football (NFL or college) and basketball, whether it’s on the women’s or men’s side, college or pro! Check out all of the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy
