Pirates need to take the training wheels off of Paul Skenes
You would think that not even the Pirates could mess this up.
Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) watches game action from the dugout against the St. Louis Cardinals during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The Pittsburgh Pirates have on paper one of the best rotations in baseball, but they cannot expect to maximize that talent if they continue to limit their ace, Paul Skenes.
In 2026, Skenes has seven starts under his belt with a 4-2 record and a 3. 18 ERA. When he’s on the mound, he’s mostly been very effective, with his starts against the New York Mets and St.
Louis Cardinals being outliers. Outside of those two ugly starts though ,Skenes has only allowed one earned run or less in his other appearances. The problem now though is when Skenes, pitches he’s averaging less than five innings pitched, 4.
76 innings on average to be exact. If this is the plan the Pirates have to keep Skenes fresh for the postseason, they will fail. The game plan of playing not to lose instead of playing to win has a weak foundation, and the Pirates won’t even sniff the playoffs if they continue to utilize Skenes this way.