As one would expect, Paul Skenes looks exactly like the reigning Cy Young winner. Dominant, composed, and already midseason sharp before Opening Day even arrives.

In his final spring tune-up, the Pittsburgh Pirates ace carved through the Toronto Blue Jays lineup, tossing four shutout innings while allowing just one hit and striking out five. The stat line says it all. “Nothing but Skenes,” the Pirates posted after the outing, and it is hard to argue otherwise.

Fresh off representing Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, Skenes showed no signs of fatigue. Instead, he looked fully in control. Even without hitting triple digits on the radar gun, topping out at 97.2 mph, he still overwhelmed hitters with command and pitch mix. That is what separates him now. He does not need max velocity to dominate.

There were brief moments where his command wavered, including three walks, but he consistently settled back in. Manager Don Kelly pointed to that ability as a key takeaway. “He had some bits and pieces there where you kind of felt like he lost command, but that’s the thing that he’s got the ability to do: rein it back in and make pitches when he has to.”

That ability to adjust on the fly is what makes Skenes different. Plenty of pitchers can overpower hitters when everything is working. Few can regain control that quickly when it is not.

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The performance is just the latest example of a historic run. After posting a 1.97 ERA with 216 strikeouts last season and winning the National League Cy Young Award, Skenes has carried that same level into 2026. His World Baseball Classic showing only reinforced it, as he held elite international lineups in check.

There was never really a debate about who would start Opening Day for Pittsburgh. The Pirates made it official anyway.

“Duh.”

That one-word response says everything.