Paul Skenes has fallen back to earth in 2026. The Pirates ace is intent on staying the course
Pirates Ace Paul Skenes Grinds Through a Rough Patch in 2026
Bharatmorningnews.com – PITTSBURGH — After two seasons that placed him among the most dominant pitchers in modern baseball history, Paul Skenes is navigating a stretch where the results simply aren't landing the way they once did. Yet the right-hander, who turns 25 in just a few months, remains focused on the process rather than the outcome.
A Season of Adjustment
Winning the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2024 followed by the NL Cy Young in 2025 created an expectation ceiling that few players ever face. Skenes acknowledges the pressure that accompanies being one of the sport's most recognizable figures, and he has chosen to carry that burden even when the work grows difficult.
Wednesday's outing against Detroit offered a mixed bag. In a 4-3 Pirates victory, Skenes lasted 4 1/3 innings, surrendering three runs on four hits. He issued a season-high-tying four walks while striking out five, and only 46 of his 81 pitches found the strike zone. The fastball, which had hovered around 95 mph in last week's loss to Miami, climbed back into the upper 90s — a small silver lining he pointed to after the game.
"I've been learning a lot and I'll continue to learn a lot," Skenes said, his ERA now sitting at 3.95, more than double the 1.96 career mark he entered the season with. "Just got to keep going."
Command Slipping
The walks tell the story of what's gone wrong. Across his first 77 career appearances, Skenes allowed four or more free passes on just five occasions. In his last four starts, that mark has appeared three times. Detroit's Colt Keith and Gleyber Torres both drew first-inning walks, and Skenes required 24 pitches to record three outs before the frame ended.
"I think the walks, it's frustrating," he admitted. "Nobody wants to go out there and walk anybody. Nobody is trying to."
Manager Don Kelly pulled Skenes after Torres plated an RBI single with one out in the fifth, giving the Tigers the lead. The outing would have marked his 10th loss in 13 decisions dating back to May 17 — a span in which his ERA has ballooned to 5.05 — before Rafael Flores Jr. and Brandon Lowe both homered in the ninth to deliver Pittsburgh's second win of the season while trailing after eight innings.
Staying Grounded
Skenes has not altered his meticulous daily preparation. He describes his approach as filtering out external noise and concentrating purely on execution, objective metrics, and what happens inside the frame.
"Just objective numbers, watching the game, execution, all that stuff," he explained. "Not anything from the outside."
That outside world, however, has grown loud. A viral photograph of Skenes walking alongside girlfriend Livvy Dunne on a Miami beach last week drew scrutiny of his physique, and criticism of his on-field performance has intensified as the slump stretches into late summer. Teammates, though, remain unfazed.
"I think the world's been spoiled on who Paul Skenes really is," veteran second baseman Brandon Lowe observed. "He had probably the best starting stretch to a career ever. And now he's not the greatest pitcher on the face of the planet for a few months, and people were worried and freaking out a bit."
Lowe frames the current dip as nothing more than the natural rhythm of the sport. Opponents adapt; adjustments follow. No pitcher sustains peak dominance indefinitely.
"There's a reason why there's not going to be a guy that pitches for 10 years and wins 10 Cy Youngs," Lowe noted. "People adapt, people adjust."
What Remains
The power and precision that defined Skenes's first two seasons have both receded somewhat, and hitters have exploited the gap. Still, the underlying numbers keep him in the top 10 in the majors for strikeouts, and his current ERA remains within the top 40.
"He's at 3 point whatever instead of his normal one," Lowe said. "That's still pretty good."
Just not elite. With a nine-game road trip ahead that could determine Pittsburgh's trajectory, Skenes intends to keep grinding through the process — the same way he has done it every time the work has grown hard.
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Paul Skenes has fallen back to earth?Paul Skenes has fallen back to earth is the main topic of this guide. The article explains the context, practical details, and next steps readers should understand.
Why does Paul Skenes has fallen back to earth matter?Paul Skenes has fallen back to earth matters because readers are looking for a useful answer, not just a short summary. Good content should match search intent and help them decide what to do next.