Paul Skenes' concerning velocity drop was summed up in one graphic

Pirates ace Paul Skenes returned to the mound on Wednesday after his scheduled start on Sunday was delayed. While the organization maintained that his absence was not due to injury, the focus remained on his velocity, which had become a major concern for the 2025 Cy Young Award winner. A graphic highlighted the stark contrast between his performance in his first two years in the MLB and his current season.

In those early years, Skenes regularly threw triple-digit fastballs, with an average fastball velocity exceeding 98 mph. However, this season, his fastball velocity has plummeted to 96.8 mph. The magnitude of this decrease can significantly impact a pitcher's effectiveness, particularly against MLB hitters. This graphic, shared on August 19, 2026, left little doubt among observers about the Pirates' apprehension regarding their star pitcher.

Skenes has thrown far fewer high-velocity fastballs compared to previous seasons, as depicted in the image. The velocity drop has largely been linked to a mechanical adjustment rather than any injury concerns. Nevertheless, this change has severely hampered Skenes' effectiveness as a pitcher. On his latest start, Skenes reached 97.9 mph twice, but he only lasted 4.1 innings, surrendering three runs on 81 pitches.

Over his last five starts, his pitching stats were as follows: 5.1 IP | 5 ER | 2 BB; 5.0 IP | 3 ER | 4 BB; 4.0 IP | 5 ER | 4 BB; 5.0 IP | 1 ER | 1 BB; 4.1 IP | 3 ER | 4 BB.