Pirates' Paul Skenes Praises Tigers Ace

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes met one of the best pitchers in the game during All-Star week.

Skenes and Detroit Tigers left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal started for the National League and the American League, respectively, in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game on July 15 at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta.

This marked the second start for Skenes in the All-Star Game, becoming the first pitcher ever that started consecutive All-Star Games at the beginning of their career. It also marked the second All-Star appearance for Skubal and his first start in the All-Star Game.

Skenes dominated in his sole inning of work, striking out Tigers duo, second baseman Gleyber Torres and left fielder Riley Greene, plus forcing New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge into a double play.

Skubal struggled in his outing, allowing three hits and two earned runs, as the NL took a 2-0 lead, giving Skenes a solid lead.

The two met during the All-Star Game and even did an interview with FOX Sports as part of the preview, showcasing the two best pitchers in baseball.

Skenes loved meeting Skubal, has enjoyed watching him become a top pitcher in the game and likes his both attitude and work ethic.

“Yeah, he’s great," Skenes said on Skubal. "It was cool. I’ve met him before, but it’s the same thing as [Clayton] Kershaw. I heard him drop the line, “How you do anything is how you do everything”, in one of the interviews we did together and he lives it. You can tell. Just speaking to him, man-to-man, we’re there at the All-Star Game, who cares about that. An incredible person. You can see that in the journey he’s had up to this point. So, just being able to spend time with an elite individual like him, aside from the pitching, is really cool.”