Paul Skenes Reflects on World Baseball Classic Impact
The World Baseball Classic had a noticeable influence on players this season. One affected athlete is Paul Skenes, the ace of the Pittsburgh Pirates. This year has been challenging for Skenes. His velocity has decreased, and his command has faltered, resulting in a 3.91 ERA compared to previous seasons where he posted ERAs of 1.97 and 1.96.
Skenes acknowledged the World Baseball Classic as a factor. “There are a lot of other factors, so I don’t want to put everything on that,” he shared with the Post-Gazette. “But I feel like that was kind of the root of it a little bit.”
Played from March 3 to March 17, the World Baseball Classic occurred during a time when pitchers typically ease into their routines, rather than exerting maximum effort. “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.” He expected his pitching velocity to increase gradually, but that wasn’t the case this season. “Looking back, I don’t think that really helped,” he remarked.
Despite his struggles, Skenes initially performed well in the season, even with a decreased fastball velocity. During his rookie year in 2024, he averaged 98.8 mph, followed by 98.1 mph in the subsequent season. This year saw a dip to 96.8 mph.
In an effort to improve, Skenes made mechanical adjustments. However, he found these changes insufficient for immediate results. “Unfortunately, it’s probably going to take an offseason to get it back,” Skenes admitted. He remains hopeful that time will restore his performance.
Skenes highlighted the World Baseball Classic’s effect not just on his performances but indicated it impacted other pitchers too. “It definitely affected the year,” Skenes stated. “Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m the only one.” The Pirates are optimistic that Skenes will bounce back, aiming for a strong 2027 season and assisting the team in reaching the postseason, pending the anticipated lockout.