The Paul Skenes experience has been smooth for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The former No. 1 overall draft pick from 2023 has been excellent in his rookie year, with a brilliant 2.43 ERA in six starts and 33.1 innings.
His control and command have been outstanding, as he has given away just six walks.
On the other hand, he has an incredible 46 strikeouts.
Many factors have contributed to his early-season success.
For starters, he can touch 103 mph on the radar gun and his fastball averages over 99 mph.
He also throws a split-finger that some call a “splinker” (a combination of a splitter with a sinker), a slider, a curveball, and a changeup.
The “splinker” is, by far, his best pitch.
It averages 94.4 mph, but its speed and movement profile are just too much for hitters to handle.
In fact, they have done almost nothing against the pitch, as Codify Baseball shows here:
“The Paul Skenes Splinker: 174 thrown, 26 called strikes, 95 swings, 32 whiffs, 34 fouls, 29 put into play (26 outs, 2 singles, 1 double). It’s completely ridiculous,” they tweeted.
Batters have hit a meager .073 off the pitch, accumulating just two singles and a double.
The rest of the outcomes?
Mostly empty swings, fouls, and weak balls in play.
The pitch is just an outstanding part of his repertoire.
Skenes is almost unhittable, and that “splinker” is a big reason why.
The Pirates hope to have him on their staff for years to come, as he is the hope for better years in the future.
He has single-handedly raised the rotation’s ceiling and given Pirates fans hope.
