Why Paul Skenes Has Been Struggling Lately, And Why Pirates Fans Shouldn’t Panic

For the first time in his young MLB career, Paul Skenes looks human.

Not bad.Not broken.Just… human.

And because Skenes arrived in Major League Baseball looking like a once-in-a-generation force, even a few rough outings suddenly feel massive to Pirates fans.

Lately, hitters have been making more contact, working deeper counts, and forcing Skenes into tougher innings. In his recent start against Toronto, he allowed a career-high nine hits and looked less overpowering than fans are used to seeing. But here’s the important part:

This is not a collapse. This is baseball adjusting to greatness.

MLB Hitters Finally Have a Plan

When Skenes first debuted, hitters looked overwhelmed. The triple-digit fastball exploded through the zone. The slider was devastating.

Hitters were simply trying to survive.

Now they’ve had months of:

• scouting reports

• heat maps

• release-point data

• sequencing analysis

• video study

The mystery is gone.

That doesn’t mean hitters have solved him. It means they’re finally comfortable enough to attack him with a strategy instead of fear.

And lately, teams are:

• sitting on fastballs earlier in counts

• forcing longer at-bats

• avoiding chase pitches

• trying to foul off velocity until they get one mistake

That approach has created more stressful innings and more hard contact than Skenes faced earlier in his career.

The Command Has Slipped Slightly

This may be the biggest reason for the recent struggles. Skenes still throws harder than almost anyone in baseball. But at the MLB level, velocity alone isn’t enough forever.

A 100 mph fastball on the corner is nearly unhittable. A 100 mph fastball over the middle becomes dangerous.

Recently, Skenes has left more pitches in hittable areas. Not terrible pitches — just slightly less precise command.

That small difference has led to:

• more line drives

• more traffic on the bases

• higher pitch counts

• fewer effortless innings

For young power pitchers, this phase is completely normal.

Every Great Power Pitcher Goes Through This

We’ve seen similar stretches from:

• Justin Verlander

• Gerrit Cole

• Max Scherzer

At some point, MLB hitters adjust to pure velocity.

That’s when elite pitchers evolve from throwers into masters of:

• sequencing

• deception

• changing eye levels

• pitch tunneling

• weak-contact management

• reading swings inning-to-inning

This is likely the stage Skenes is entering now.

The Numbers Still Show Dominance

Here’s what makes the panic around Skenes a little ridiculous:

Even during this “struggle,” his overall numbers remain elite.

As of late May 2026, Skenes still owns:

• a 2.62 ERA

• an opponent batting average around .161

• an elite WHIP near 0.71

• and dominant strikeout numbers

Most pitchers would dream of numbers like that. For Skenes, it’s considered disappointing because his standard has become absurdly high.

The Pirates’ Situation Adds Pressure

Another factor that matters: Skenes pitches like he has to be perfect every night.

And sometimes with the Pirates’ inconsistent offense, he probably feels that way.

Young aces often start overthrowing when they believe every run matters. That can lead to:

• nibbling

• elevated pitch counts

• missed locations

• and mechanical inconsistency

The pressure of being:

• the face of the franchise

• the ace

• the national attraction

• and the player expected to stop losing streaks

…is enormous for any young pitcher.

Final Thought

Paul Skenes is not falling apart. He’s entering the most important developmental stage of his career:the adjustment after the league adjusts to him.

And the scary thing for the rest of baseball is this: Even while “struggling,” he still looks like one of the best pitchers in the sport.

Because once Skenes fully learns how to dominate hitters who already know what’s coming?

That’s when good young pitchers become legendary ones.