Pittsburgh Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes suffered his first loss at the major league level on Tuesday. However, that didn't stop Skenes from putting together another generational outing.
The right-hander pitched 8.1 innings in a 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He struck out eight batters while allowing just four hits and walking none. Skenes became the first pitcher in MLB with seven or more strikeouts in 11 of his first 12 appearances since 1901, via Sarah Langs of MLB.com No other player has more than nine such outings in their first 12 starts.
Furthermore, Skenes is now up to 97 strikeouts through his rookie season. He has the fifth-most strikeouts of any pitcher through their first 12 appearances. His 16 runs allowed are the fewest among all 14 pitchers with at least 80+ strikeouts in their first 12 starts. Skenes joined Masahiro Tanaka as the only players with 80+ strikeouts and fewer than 15 walks in the same time frame. All stats provided by Langs.
After his latest performance, the Pirates star now holds a 6-1 record with a 1.93 ERA and a 97/13 K/BB ratio. If he were qualified, Skenes would lead the league in ERA. The Pirates aren't complaining though as the righty has proven to be the ace of their rotation in the present and future.
Pittsburgh's loss to St. Louis does hurt their playoff push. At 51-50, the Pirates are seven games out of the NL Central lead and 1.5 games back of a Wild Card spot. If the team is going to seriously earn a spot in the postseason, they'll need Paul Skenes to continue to be at the top of his game.
Paul Skenes becomes superstar with Pirates
From the moment he joined the organization, Skenes was set up for stardom. Selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, expectations were sky-high. It didn't take him long to prove he belonged at the major league level.
It took just 12 games in the minors for Skenes to get the call. He threw to a 1.85 ERA and a 55/10 K/BB ratio. His 0.99 ERA and 45/8 K/BB ratio over seven games at Triple-A to start the 2024 campaign gave Pittsburgh all the incentive they needed.
His addition to the rotation has been a massive boon. The Pirates ranked 22nd in the league with a 4.60 ERA. In 2024, they rank 12th with a 3.81 ERA. Skenes hasn't done it alone as players like Jared Jones and Mitch Keller have all stepped up. Still, he highlights the new wave of pitching talent the Pirates have accumulated.
Taking the loss will leave a small blemish on Paul Skenes' record. But if he continues pitching how he is, the Pirates aren't set to take lose many more when the rookie star is on the mound.
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