Paul Skenes did his best to downplay the significance of his highly-anticipated major-league debut Saturday afternoon. The game's top pitching prospect acknowledged what it was like to reflect on his way to the bullpen prior to the game and the feeling of getting to pitch in front of his friends and family, but ultimately he wanted to take things slow, be present through it all and focus on simply playing baseball.
"It's a game in May," Skenes said. "I do my best to kinda drown that out as much as possible, just make it a baseball game. Every time I go out there, just go out and pitch."
Skenes' attempt to treat it like any other game allowed him to replicate the type of performance that helped get him to the big leagues in the first place. He lacked with his command at times, but he still showed off his triple-digit fastball and his devastating splitter on his way to a seven-strikeout performance in the Pirates' 10-9 victory over the Cubs at PNC Park.
Paul Skenes strikes out 7 in his first career start! pic.twitter.com/4WIqGRjgSf
— MLB (@MLB) May 11, 2024
Skenes, who threw 54 of 84 pitches for strikes and registered 17 pitches at 100-plus mph, surrendered three runs on six hits and a pair of walks in four innings. Of the three runs he allowed, only one -- a fourth-inning solo homer served up to Nico Hoerner -- was given up with him in the game. The other two runs charged to him scored on bases-loaded walks surrendered by Kyle Nicolas in Chicago's seven-run fifth inning.
"Stuff was really good. I think I just gotta get ahead of hitters more consistently, but I think that will come," Skenes said. "It was really cool. Everybody talks about this stadium. It's an awesome stadium, awesome skyline. Fans are awesome. It was an awesome day."
Throughout an outing that saw him exit after allowing back-to-back hits to begin the fifth inning, Skenes struggled to get quick outs. There were more than a few lengthy at-bats coupled with a pair of early walks, a hit batter and the strikeouts that helped drive up his pitch count.
"I have to get them out quicker, regardless if they're major-league hitters or not, I just have to get them out quicker," Skenes said. "That's the bigger thing for me."
In terms of his five-pitch arsenal, Skenes was heavily reliant on his fastball (33 times), slider (23) and splitter (21). He didn't have the best command with his fastball, generating just four whiffs and getting three called strikes, but his velocity was sitting at an average of around 100 mph.
Derek Shelton said he thought Skenes was a little bit over-amped, which can happen to a pitcher making their first big-league start, even one like Skenes who focuses on maintaining a stoic and composed mentality on the mound.
"I thought he did a good job," Shelton said. "The fastball command, you know, wasn't as sharp as we'd seen it in Indy, and understandably, I mean the crowd was into it. That was fun, but overall the stuff plays."
A pitch Skenes did find quality results with was his splitter, which is otherwise known as a "splinker," given it's half-sinker, half-splitter nature. He generated seven of his 14 whiffs with the pitch and averaged around 95 mph with it.
"Yas had caught him and one of the things Yas had said when he came back, I don't know what we call it, but he's like, 'this pitch is different,'" Shelton said. "You don't see very many guys, you don't see anybody, throw it at 95-96, so I think the fact that Yas had caught him and having the conversation with Yas, it was a little bit of an idea, but until you see it live, I mean, it's different."
Yasmani Grandal caught for Skenes Saturday after getting the chance to do it once during his recent rehab stint at Class AAA Indianapolis. Shelton said he believes that experience was beneficial.
"I think someone doing it for the first time or having seen it for the first time, it would be a little more challenging," Shelton said. "But the fact that he had caught him I think was helpful."
Grandal agreed.
"I tell you, if I hadn't caught him, I don't know if today would have gone as it went," he said. "But the fact that I was able to do it helped me out a lot."
Grandal said Skenes' debut performance wasn't his best, but that's because he holds him to a much higher standard. Fair considering Skenes is fresh off a seven-start showing in Indianapolis in which he had a 0.99 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP and held opposing hitters to a .175 batting average. Not to mention the 45 strikeouts he collected compared to eight walks in 27 1/3 innings.
“Just the fact that he didn’t have everything there today and was still able to get through it was huge," Grandal said. "We’re gonna continue going and I’m assuming he’s gonna have a way better second start.”
