Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Paul Skenes reaches career milestone at historic pace

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Apr 14, 2026 10:33 AM ET

Even on a night the Pittsburgh Pirates enjoy an offensive explosion, ace Paul Skenes shares in the headlines.

The reigning National League Cy Young winner made more MLB history as he picked up his third win of the season in Pittsburgh's 16-5 win over the Washington Nationals.

Early in the game, before the Pirates' stacked runs mostly thanks to a 10-run sixth inning, Skenes reached a career milestone that also further separated him from the franchise's pitchers of the past.

Paul Skenes now has over 400 strikeouts in his career

With his second of six strikeouts in the game, Skenes became the first Pirates pitcher of the modern era with at least 400 strikeouts in his first 59 starts. Skenes now has 404, averaging 135 per season to this point in his young career.

https://t.co/oR7pHtsQYx pic.twitter.com/fY6roP47sL
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 13, 2026

Aided by more run support than he was ever used to in his first two MLB seasons, the 23-year-old allowed only one run in six innings pitched on Monday night. He also only walked one batter.

Skenes has rebounded after the worst start of his career on Opening Day

After four starts, which includes a rough Opening Day in which he didn't even last a full inning, Skenes now has a 3-1 record with a 4.00 ERA, 18 strikeouts and a 0.94 WHIP. His ERA dropped down from the 5.25 mark he carried into the day, signaling an opportunity to get further down to his normal standards in his next couple starts.

Overall, Skenes, already a two-time All-Star, owns a 24-14 career record with a 2.07 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP in 338.2 innings early in his third year as the leader of the Pirates' pitching staff.

The hope for Pirates fans is their potent lineup provides Skenes the support he needs to beef up his win total - he only won 10 games en route to being named the Cy Young winner in 2025. And the combination of Skenes and a more potent offense could lead the Pirates to the organization's first winning season since 2015.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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