{"id":860315,"date":"2026-08-16T16:02:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T16:02:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/860315\/"},"modified":"2026-08-16T16:02:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T16:02:22","slug":"whats-up-with-paul-skenes-plus-a-three-homer-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/860315\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s up with Paul Skenes? Plus, a three-homer debut!!"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pulse Newsletter \ud83d\udce3 | This is The Athletic\u2019s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here<\/a> to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Good morning! Keep an eye on your velocity today. Inside:<\/p>\n

Disappointment: Skenes\u2019 shocking summer<\/p>\n

On July 27, the Pirates held the final National League wild-card spot. Today, they\u2019re 6.5 games back and more or less out of the race. One of the reasons for their collapse is a shocker.<\/p>\n

Entering this year, Paul Skenes was as much of an ace as an ace can be.\u00a0He pitched to ERAs of 1.96 and 1.97 in his first two years, winning Rookie of the Year, the NL Cy Young and back-to-back starting nods in the All-Star Game.\u00a0This year, Skenes\u2019 ERA is 3.88, but that barely explains why his season has been so flummoxing.<\/p>\n

Through nine starts, Skenes had a 1.98 ERA.\u00a0In 16 starts since then, Skenes\u2019 ERA is an even 5.\u00a0Walks and homers are up, and efficiency is down.\u00a0Skenes is getting through an average of 5 1\/3 innings per start.\u00a0Many of his peripheral stats still look excellent, and both the pitcher and team have espoused a process-trusting approach. \u201cGot to remember what\u2019s real,\u201d\u00a0the big man said in June<\/a>, amid a streak of nine Pirates losses in his starts. His manager, Don Kelly, noted Skenes set the bar \u201cso high\u201d in his first two years.<\/p>\n

Something\u2019s off, though.\u00a0It\u2019s not just that the Pirates have posted a full 2015 Browns season (a 3-13 record) in Skenes\u2019 last 16 starts. That could be noise. But\u00a0is it? Skenes\u2019 fastball velocity is\u00a0plummeting to new lows pretty much all the time now<\/a>, and Kelly just yanked him from a game after 65 pitches. Skenes has indicated that the velocity dip is intentional, part of a self-preservation plan, and that he could access more if he needed it. But his hardest pitches are\u00a0also\u00a0slower, suggesting that Skenes does not actually have it when he needs it. Coupled with worse command, he\u2019s allowing more base runners and hard-hit balls than ever. The Pirates are concerned enough to be pushing back Skenes\u2019 planned start today, to Wednesday. They say it\u2019s about recovery and not an injury.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s happened? A few theories are bouncing around:<\/p>\n

The World Baseball Classic messed with his offseason prep.\u00a0Skenes\u00a0was amped up for the WBC<\/a>, a March event that changed his spring training buildup.
\nSomething is wrong with his mechanics.\u00a0Eno Sarris has\u00a0a deep, deep dive on the current state of Skenes\u2019 arsenal<\/a>.
\nSkenes has gained weight.\u00a0This one comes from\u00a0longtime Pirates reporter John Perrotto<\/a>, citing \u201cmultiple people\u201d who believe Skenes looks less athletic and that added weight is messing with his delivery.
\nHe\u2019s injured, and the team hasn\u2019t realized it.\u00a0Fans are on edge about the Pirates\u2019 medical staff. Prized rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin has had two long-term injury absences this season, each after remaining in the game or lineup immediately after his injury. Starter Mitch Keller was just ruled out for the season after looking like a shell of himself for months. There\u2019s a trust gap here, at least.
\nSkenes has a cumulative case of \u201cthe Pirates.\u201d\u00a0The organization is a bottomless pit of failure under owner Bob Nutting and seventh-year general manager Ben Cherington. That includes team defense. Entering this weekend, fielders behind Skenes had posted\u00a0a -8 defensive run value<\/a>, second-worst in the majors.\u00a0Remember Opening Day?<\/a><\/p>\n

Whatever it is, things aren\u2019t fine.\u00a0I suspect Skenes will fix the problem next year as long as he\u2019s healthy, because he\u2019s such a great talent and still so early in his career. Whether the Pirates will achieve anything with him is a different question, though. The club will soon have missed the playoffs in each of Skenes\u2019 three pre-arbitration seasons. A lockout beckons, and so does Skenes\u2019 free agency in 2030.<\/p>\n

News to Know\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Sean M. Haffey \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Douglass in turbo mode<\/p>\n

Kate Douglass made a mockery of the women\u2019s 50-meter freestyle world record at the Pan Pacific Championships yesterday \u2014\u00a0breaking it twice and lowering it from 23.55 to 23.19 after her finals win over fellow American and previous record-holder Gretchen Walsh. For more on the achievement \u2014 and her incredible versatility \u2014 go here<\/a>. Meanwhile in the Euro championships, German 19-year-old Johannes Liebmann trimmed nearly four seconds off<\/a> the men\u2019s 1,500-meter freestyle record previously held by American Bobby Finke. <\/p>\n

More News
\nGiants quarterback Jaxson Dart got lit up by Vikings safety Jay Ward and three plays later threw a touchdown. Dart said later he was \u201cpuzzled\u201d<\/a> at having been evaluated for a concussion.
\nYoung Seahawks star Devon Witherspoon will be the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history under a four-year, $132 million extension. More here<\/a>.
\nLeBron James launched a YouTube golf channel<\/a>. First video: 96 minutes from a summer trip reuniting the 2016 champion Cavs on the Scottish links.
\nThe Naismith Hall of Fame inducted eight individuals and the 1996 USA women\u2019s Olympic gold medal team. Best moments from the speeches here<\/a>.
\nThe Blue Jays placed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the concussion IL after he took a knee to the head<\/a> while sliding into third base against the Yankees on Friday. Not his year.
\nIndiana football coach Curt Cignetti said he\u2019s happy to play nonconference games against Notre Dame \u2014\u00a0but he wants two home games to their one<\/a>. \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcf0\u00a0Find more news here 24\/7<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hi, My Name Is<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

Take \u2026 several bows, Joshua B\u00e1ez\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are sterling debuts, and then there\u2019s what Cardinals prospect Joshua B\u00e1ez did at Wrigley Field yesterday:<\/p>\n

On the first MLB pitch he saw, B\u00e1ez hit a 449-foot homer to center.
\nIn his second at-bat, he homered to left.
\nThird at-bat: a homer to\u00a0right<\/p>\n

Not only is B\u00e1ez\u00a0the first player in MLB history with a three-homer debut, he accomplished the feat in his first three at-bats, hitting one out to every field. It was so utterly bonkers that after he lined out in his final at-bat,\u00a0B\u00e1ez, a\u00a0Cardinal, got a standing ovation\u00a0from\u00a0a\u00a0crowd full of\u00a0Cubs fans.<\/p>\n

B\u00e1ez shared tears with his mother in the postgame scene.\u00a0Make time for this dispatch<\/a> from Patrick Mooney, which includes the astounding detail that back in June, B\u00e1ez hit four\u00a0homers on the anniversary of his father\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

Watch Guide<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa\u00a0FA Community Shield: Arsenal vs. Man City
10 a.m. ET on ESPN
The Premier League season\u00a0is a week away<\/a>. But first, a trophy.\u00a0Fun backstory here<\/a>\u00a0on how the Community Shield became what it is today.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa\u00a0Golf: FedEx St. Jude Championship
2 p.m. ET on CBS
The final round of the first playoff event of the PGA Tour season. Seventy players are in the field, and 50 advance to the BMW Championship next week.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa\u00a0MLB: Mariners at Astros
7:20 p.m. ET on NBC
Major AL West implications in this one, and the pitching matchup is a good one: Bryan Woo against Hunter Brown.<\/p>\n

Get tickets to games like this here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pulse Picks<\/p>\n

\n Illustration: Kelsea Petersen \/ The Athletic; iStock<\/p>\n

Most-shared stories on\u00a0The Athletic\u00a0last week:<\/p>\n

3 small habits mental performance coaches think\u00a0could have the biggest impact<\/a>
\nLakers sold to Bob Iger, Joshua Kushner<\/a> 1 year after Mark Walter bought team
\nMeet Cooper Lutkenhaus,\u00a0the track phenom who has gone pro while still in high school<\/a>
\nVenomous snake hides in football player\u2019s helmet during practice \u2014\u00a0while he wears it<\/a>
\n\u201cIt was a bit surreal\u201d:\u00a0When World Cup star Olise joined a New York pick-up game<\/a>\u00a0\u2026 in socks<\/p>\n

Everyone wants a recipe you can\u2019t screw up. Take a bag of those small potatoes that cost like three bucks, season them with olive oil, salt and pepper and whatever else and let them go 3-4 minutes past the air fryer rec, basically 20-plus mins. Crispy outsides, mashed potato insides. I don\u2019t even bother to cut them. Here\u2019s\u00a0an easy recipe<\/a>. \u2014 Chris Sprow<\/p>\n

The Braves signed some 2026 draft picks to $500 deals. Yes, $500. Jes\u00fas Cano explains\u00a0the potentially controversial tactic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve never played a Katamari video game before, the deal is that you use a sticky little ball to \u201croll up\u201d increasingly large objects until your wad is so big it contains the literal cosmos. It\u2019s whimsical and therapeutic \u2014 if at times frustrating \u2014 and the latest installment, Once Upon a Katamari, is available for most consoles (Switch 2 version out in October). \u2014 Matt Piper<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa5 Our Tifo Sports revisited the question of why MLB catchers are getting hit in the groin more often.\u00a0Ouch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jason Lloyd argues it\u2019s time for the NFL to scrap the coach-initiated challenge system<\/a> and give the booth authority all game long.<\/p>\n

Trader Joe\u2019s Greek chickpeas with cumin and parsley might be\u00a0its most underrated product.<\/a>\u00a0They\u2019re a hack for making even the most basic savory meals feel more complete and elevated with zero extra effort (also convenient to pack on-the-go). \u2014 Torrey Hart<\/p>\n

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald\u00a0explaining their move for Terrion Arnold<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udceb That\u2019s all for now! Say hello at thepulse@theathletic.com<\/a>, and check out our other newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Pulse Newsletter \ud83d\udce3 | This is The Athletic\u2019s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":860316,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[435],"tags":[49,48,462,82],"class_list":["post-860315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/860315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=860315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/860315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/860316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=860315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=860315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=860315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}