Paul Skenes bombs in worst Opening Day Pirates start since the 1800s
This went about as poorly as it could've gone for Skenes.
Paul Skenes bombs in worst Opening Day Pirates start since the 1800s originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Pittsburgh Pirates began their season against the New York Mets , and while it's not an easy matchup, they had Paul Skenes on the mound.
That should give any team confidence. However, Skenes' Opening Day start against the Mets went very poorly. As Underdog MLB shared on Twitter/X , not only did he give up five earned runs, tied for the most in his career, but he also didn't even make it out of the first inning.
This 2026 season debut for Skenes wasn't just a bad outing; it was historically bad. In Pirates history, going as far back as possible, this was the only start on Opening Day to not go at least a full inning. Paul Skenes has worst Opening Day start since 1800s Since at least 1900, there hasn't been another starting pitcher in Pirates history who didn't make it at least one full inning.
Skenes lasted just two outs into the game, being replaced in the first inning. With the Pirates' history going back to 1882, and the game finder going back to 1898, there could have been a start just as bad back then. But the odds of such a bad start occurring back then are incredibly low.