'Work in progress:' Skenes balancing efficiency, progress
Despite how quickly Paul Skenes ascended to the top of the baseball world last season, one can easily forget that he’s a 22-year-old who is still learning and adjusting.
In his fourth Grapefruit League start, a 4-2 win over the Twins on Monday afternoon at LECOM Park, Skenes battled through 4 2/3 innings, gave up five hits, allowed one earned run, walked three and struck out seven. He touched 100 mph with his fourth and fifth pitch for the first time this spring and threw 51 of his 85 pitches for strikes.
It was the type of start that Skenes, at this point in the year, can live with. But, as he looks to be more efficient, it’s also a start he wants to learn from.
“I've learned what not to do, which isn't exactly where you want to be. It's a work in progress,” Skenes said. “This is my first spring training, my first legit spring training, and it feels different. So, I'm still trying to put a finger on it. The finger starts pointing at me, so I'm trying to figure out what it is on my end that we need to do. But also, hitters' approaches are a little bit different, so I'm trying to figure out how to navigate that. Nothing has changed. That's still the goal. Just gotta keep working toward it."
Here's Skenes' full media availability from today:
Being efficient on the mound isn’t a new goal for Skenes, it’s something he’s been chasing since last year and it’s a goal that could take him to a new level. However, spring training is a time to work on things. So, Skenes is trying to strike a perfect balance between tinkering with new pitches and being efficient.
“I think the one thing that we have to realize with Paul is it is his first spring training and he’s such a competitor,” Derek Shelton said. “I would imagine he was frustrated when he talked to you guys or said ‘Hey, I need to be more consistent,’ but this is his first spring training and you work through those things in spring training and that’s what he’s working through right now.”
Skenes debuted his “splinker” a year ago, which became one of the best pitches in Major League Baseball, and added it to an elite arsenal that already included his triple-digit fastball, two different forms of a slider, a changeup and a curveball. Now, as we’ve documented in this space throughout spring training, he’s looking to add a sinker and a cutter. Working on all of those pitches takes time and in-game repetitions.
He threw a few sinkers today, but it also took Skenes 79 pitches to work through 3 2/3 innings. He struck out five batters and threw five or more pitches in eight different at-bats. Before being pulled in the fourth inning, he recorded his sixth and seventh strikeout, but they were sandwiched by his second and third walks. It wasn’t exactly what he was hoping to accomplish.
"(It was) just a little hit and miss," Skenes said of his start. "The hits I can live with, the walks are a little frustrating. I think it's just a product of it being early, still getting a feel for my body, still getting a feel for the strike zone."
However, when he returned to the game in the top of the fifth inning, he attacked hitters in the zone and induced two ground balls and a pop-up on just six pitches.
“I was really happy with the fifth inning,” Shelton said. “I mean to go out and throw five, six pitches and finish off there because he probably only had 10 pitches left. So, to be able to do that, I thought that was impressive.”
Despite how dominant Skenes has been over the last year, there’s still opportunities for growth. He’s already elite and there's still room for improvement. He knows it and he’s doing whatever he can to accomplish it. With one spring training start left, he’s going to continue working toward that goal.
“Again, spring training is just a lot. So I'm going to treat it like a game, like a normal spring training game,” Skenes said about his next start. “Just got to pitch my game and see how it goes. I think as we go on, there has not been a lot of hard contact this spring. The (Trent) Grisham home run was enough. That was enough hard contact for the year. Just keep limiting damage and get in the strike zone, stay in the strike zone.”
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THE ASYLUM
Greg Macafee
9:35 pm - 03.17.2025Bradenton, Fla.'Work in progress:' Skenes balancing efficiency, progress
Despite how quickly Paul Skenes ascended to the top of the baseball world last season, one can easily forget that he’s a 22-year-old who is still learning and adjusting.
In his fourth Grapefruit League start, a 4-2 win over the Twins on Monday afternoon at LECOM Park, Skenes battled through 4 2/3 innings, gave up five hits, allowed one earned run, walked three and struck out seven. He touched 100 mph with his fourth and fifth pitch for the first time this spring and threw 51 of his 85 pitches for strikes.
It was the type of start that Skenes, at this point in the year, can live with. But, as he looks to be more efficient, it’s also a start he wants to learn from.
“I've learned what not to do, which isn't exactly where you want to be. It's a work in progress,” Skenes said. “This is my first spring training, my first legit spring training, and it feels different. So, I'm still trying to put a finger on it. The finger starts pointing at me, so I'm trying to figure out what it is on my end that we need to do. But also, hitters' approaches are a little bit different, so I'm trying to figure out how to navigate that. Nothing has changed. That's still the goal. Just gotta keep working toward it."
Here's Skenes' full media availability from today:
Being efficient on the mound isn’t a new goal for Skenes, it’s something he’s been chasing since last year and it’s a goal that could take him to a new level. However, spring training is a time to work on things. So, Skenes is trying to strike a perfect balance between tinkering with new pitches and being efficient.
“I think the one thing that we have to realize with Paul is it is his first spring training and he’s such a competitor,” Derek Shelton said. “I would imagine he was frustrated when he talked to you guys or said ‘Hey, I need to be more consistent,’ but this is his first spring training and you work through those things in spring training and that’s what he’s working through right now.”
Skenes debuted his “splinker” a year ago, which became one of the best pitches in Major League Baseball, and added it to an elite arsenal that already included his triple-digit fastball, two different forms of a slider, a changeup and a curveball. Now, as we’ve documented in this space throughout spring training, he’s looking to add a sinker and a cutter. Working on all of those pitches takes time and in-game repetitions.
He threw a few sinkers today, but it also took Skenes 79 pitches to work through 3 2/3 innings. He struck out five batters and threw five or more pitches in eight different at-bats. Before being pulled in the fourth inning, he recorded his sixth and seventh strikeout, but they were sandwiched by his second and third walks. It wasn’t exactly what he was hoping to accomplish.
"(It was) just a little hit and miss," Skenes said of his start. "The hits I can live with, the walks are a little frustrating. I think it's just a product of it being early, still getting a feel for my body, still getting a feel for the strike zone."
However, when he returned to the game in the top of the fifth inning, he attacked hitters in the zone and induced two ground balls and a pop-up on just six pitches.
“I was really happy with the fifth inning,” Shelton said. “I mean to go out and throw five, six pitches and finish off there because he probably only had 10 pitches left. So, to be able to do that, I thought that was impressive.”
Despite how dominant Skenes has been over the last year, there’s still opportunities for growth. He’s already elite and there's still room for improvement. He knows it and he’s doing whatever he can to accomplish it. With one spring training start left, he’s going to continue working toward that goal.
“Again, spring training is just a lot. So I'm going to treat it like a game, like a normal spring training game,” Skenes said about his next start. “Just got to pitch my game and see how it goes. I think as we go on, there has not been a lot of hard contact this spring. The (Trent) Grisham home run was enough. That was enough hard contact for the year. Just keep limiting damage and get in the strike zone, stay in the strike zone.”
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Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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