Mar 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) follows through on a pitch against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Biggest Surprises From Pirates Opening Day Loss

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Mar 27, 2026 4:00 PM ET

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates lost their first game of the season to the New York Mets, dropping the Opening Day contest by a final score of 11-7.

The loss itself wasn't surprising. After all, the Pirates are taking on a Mets team that won 83 games last season and added another All-Star hitter with the free agent addition of Bo Bichette.

The way the loss happened, however, was very surprising. The loss is in the rearview mirror for the Pirates, but these surprises are definitely going to linger as they try to avenge their loss in game two of the series.

What the F--k Happened to Paul Skenes?

Well, that didn't go like anyone expected. Pirates starting pitcher and superstar Paul Skenes got through just two outs before manager Don Kelly pulled from the mound.

In that span, he threw 37 pitches, gave up four hits, walked two batters and gave up five earned runs. He struck out just one batter.

The reigning Cy Young winner is the best pitcher in the MLB, but even the best can have tough starts. What makes it so surprising is that we've never seen this from Skenes. Last year, his shortest outing was 3.2 innings against the Chicago Cubs, when he allowed three runs on seven hits and threw 92 total pitches in the process.

It took one start in 2026 for him to set a new career-worst. The Pirates are hoping that this was an untimely bump in the road. The 23-year-old has been nearly perfect since arriving in the MLB, and for the first time he's looked human. In all likelihood, Skenes comes back with a vengeance his next time on the bump and never looks back. But what if, just maybe, it's a bad omen for the 2026 campaign?

Lack of Plate Discipline from Bryan Reynolds

Last year, outfielder Bryan Reynolds recorded a career-high 173 strikeouts. Coming into 2026, the thought was that Reynolds would put that difficult year at the plate behind him.

Instead, Reynolds seemingly brought that 2025 approach and execution to his season debut. He went 1-for-4, which is fine. But two of his at-bats were strike outs, continuing a bad trend from last season.

The Pirates are relying on Reynolds to be their leader in the outfield and at the heart of their lineup. The plate discipline was surprisingly bad against the Mets, and that problem has to end immediately.

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

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