Paul Skenes gets season ERA below 2.00 with latest overpowering start

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches against the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning at PNC Park. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Paul Skenes gets season ERA below 2.00 with latest overpowering start

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated May 12, 2026 10:56 PM ET

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When Paul Skenes gave up five runs in an Opening Day loss, he left the mound with an obscene ERA of 67.50.

Fast forward to his latest start on Tuesday, a no-hit bid through seven innings, and the 2025 National League Cy Young winner has brought his ERA all the way down to more familiar territory.

Now nine starts into the 2026 season, Skenes' season ERA is below 2.00 at 1.98. After entering the day with a 2.36 mark, Skenes' ERA sits below 2.00 for the first time of the season thanks to one of his best performances of the year.

Paul Skenes flirted with a no-hitter throughout most of the night against the Rockies

In a 3-1 Pirates win over the Colorado Rockies, Skenes threw an eight-inning shutout, striking out 10 and allowing only two hits.

While his Skenes' overall 2026 has been below the standard he first set as the NL Rookie of the Year in 2024 and then exceeded last year, he's been dealing as of late.

Paul Skenes struck out the first 6 batters he faced tonight, so the next hitter tried to lay down a bunt.

Skenes acknowledged the effort pic.twitter.com/Bbw3qzPdIL
— MLB (@MLB) May 12, 2026

He's now reached eight innings of work in consecutive shutouts . In his last appearance prior to Tuesday, he also only gave up just a pair of hits and struck out seven against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

His start also made history:

Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the only Pirates in the Expansion Era (since 1961) to strike out 6 or more consecutive batters to begin a game:

Paul Skenes (7, 5/17/24 at CHC)
Andrew Heaney (6, 4/23/25 at LAA)
Paul Skenes (6, tonight vs. COL)
— Jason Mackey (@JMackey_PGH) May 12, 2026

Skenes has been dominant in most of his starts since Opening Day

No surprise, Skenes proved his career-worst outing in New York against the Mets back on March 26 was an aberration by registering a 1.09 ERA since that walking off the mound at Citi Field.

The next step for the Pirates ace is to keep his ERA below 2.00, as he's yet to finish a season above that number — 1.96 as a rookie and 1.97 in his sophomore campaign.

Paul Skenes lowers his ERA to 1.98 after another dominant outing pic.twitter.com/UNavC8aVZF
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 13, 2026

And if Skenes can stay at this current level, he will be in the conversation for his second Cy Young Award in as many seasons, maybe even doing so for a more competitive 23-19 Pittsburgh team that hopes to stay in the race all summer long.

Overall, Skenes holds a 6-2 record, already just four wins shy of matching his 2025 total, has 56 strikeouts, only seven walks and a 0.64 WHIP to go along with his 1.98 ERA.

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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