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Aug 24, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches against the Colorado Rockies during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PIrates' Paul Skenes Barely Misses MLB History After Milestone

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 7:15 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes has performed amongst the best in the MLB since his call-up and has continued his impressive legacy in the beginning of his career.

Skenes dominated the Colorado Rockies in series finale at PNC Park on Aug. 24, throwing seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and posting seven strikeouts over 101 pitches in the 4-0 victory, securing a series sweep.

This marked the 50th start of his MLB career and those seven scoreless innings brought down his career ERA to 2.02. This ranks as the second lowest ERA at 50 starts in MLB history since the beginning of the liveball era (1920-present), just behind Vida Blue, who had a 2.01 ERA with the Oakland Athletics (1969-71).

Skenes has been pleased with his production so far in his MLB career, but just wants to make sure that he continues this pace in the future.

"Just gotta do it in the next 50, and the 50 after that," Skenes said postgame. "Consistency is the biggest thing, I feel. Being on the field, doing the same thing every day. That's all you can ask for from players. Been pretty consistent to this point. Just got to keep going."

Skenes made his MLB debut on May 11, 2024 and quickly established himself as one of the best pitchers in the game.

He started 23 games, had a 1.96 ERA in 133.0 innings pitched, allowed just 29 earned runs, 94 hits, six home runs and 32 walks, while making 170 strikeouts and holding opposing hitting to a .198 batting average. He also had a 11.50 K/9 and a WHIP of 0.95.

Skenes also started for the National League in the All-Star game, becoming the first member of the Pirates to start in since Jerry Reuss did it in 1975 and just the fifth rookie to start an All-Star game, with Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers doing so in 1995.

He won NL Rookie of the Year, was a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award and also earned All-MLB First Team honors for his performance that campaign.

Skenes has continued his great performance into 2025, with an 8-9 record over 27 starts, a 2.07 ERA over 161.0 innings pitched, 181 strikeouts to 37 walks, a .195 opposing batting average and a 0.94 WHIP.

He ranks amongst the best pitchers in the MLB, with the lowest ERA, third lowest opposing batting average, third most innings pitched, fourth lowest WHIP and fourth most strikeouts.

Skenes also started the All-Star Game for the NL, becoming the first pitcher ever that started consecutive All-Star Games in the first two seasons of their career.

He also posted a 0.67 ERA over 27.0 innings pitched in five starts in July, which ranked the fifth lowest for a Pirates pitcher with at least 25.0 innings pitched and also earned him NL Pitcher of the Month honors.

Pirates manager Don Kelly praised Skenes for his excellence vs. the Rockies and that he's doing all of this in his first full season at the MLB level.

"Well you know what, it's amazing. It's amazing what he's able to do," Kelly said. "You see the fastball. The velo, the command was there today, being able to mix it up in and out, up and down. Go to the changeup, the sweeper. He's always in control which is really impressive. You know it's really hard to put that expectation on him. You just said it. It's his first full Major League season, 50 starts. He continues to go out and do what he does. He was phenomenal today. Seven innings of shutout ball."

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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