Paul

Skenes

If this game had taken place two days ago, Skenes would have been lifted after 30 pitches and brought back out for the second inning. Alas, that couldn’t happen in the regular season. Skenes made his own trouble by walking Francisco Lindor and Luis Robert Jr. in the first, but the first two hits he allowed were soft singles and the third was a bases-loaded triple that Oneil Cruz misplayed in center. The fourth was a double that Cruz lost in the sun. There was nothing wrong with Skenes’ stuff today, but the Pirates simply couldn’t risk continuing on with him at 37 pitches in the first in the first game of the season. Most likely, Skenes will make his next start Wednesday against the Reds. The Pirates, though, would have the option of bringing him back early if they’d like.

Skenes scattered one hit and three walks, requiring 65 pitches (36 strikes) to navigate four shutout frames in his final spring tune-up. The 23-year-old reigning NL Cy Young Award winner kicks off the season on Thursday with a challenging road tilt against the Mets at Citi Field. He’s one of the top three pitchers off the board in the first or second round of every fantasy draft this spring.

Stunner. He’ll oppose Freddy Peralta in the opener. Skenes’ 2026 fantasy forecast could take a major step forward if the Pirates are able to generate more offense behind him this year. He’s become a routine first-round pick even without generating much in the way of wins, but if the runs lead to wins, his ceiling could be higher in 2026.

Skenes surrendered six hits, but only Junior Caminero’s homer in the second did any damage. He struck out two and walked none in the 71-pitch outing.

It’ll be a playoff atmosphere (in mid-March) at loanDepot park in Miami when Skenes squares off against a loaded Dominican Republic lineup that leads the international tournament in runs scored and is coming off a 10-0 shutout win over Korea. United States manager Mark DeRosa told reporters Skenes is slated to throw roughly 75-80 pitches in this outing. It’s a high-profile spot for 23-year-old superstar to face off against one of the best lineups he’s likely to face in his entire career. It’ll be Athletics starter Luis Severino taking the ball for the Dominican Republic. Get your popcorn ready, folks.

Skenes, who topped out at 99.7 mph with his fastball, made it look pretty easy against a solid Mexico lineup tonight, getting 15 whiffs on 31 swings and allowing zero hard-hit balls. He’ll likely pitch again Sunday if Team USA can advance to the semifinals.

Willy Adames led off the top of the first with a double, the lone hit against Skenes, and then came around to score on a pair of groundouts. Skenes needed just 40 pitches to get through three, so he threw a few more in the bullpen afterwards. He’ll make his next start for Team USA against Team Mexico.

Webb will be followed by Tigers ace Tarik Skubal against Great Britain before Pirates stalwart Paul Skenes toes the rubber against Mexico with Mets rookie sensation Nolan McLean rounding out the pool play rotation against Italy. The international showcase kicks off later this week with the quarterfinals set to begin on Friday, March 13.

Skenes also struck out four, but just 27 of his 53 pitches went for strikes and the four balls in play against him averaged 100.8 mph. That’s fine for his first start of the spring, but ideally, he’ll be a little bit sharper for his World Baseball Classic outings.

Skenes will take the ball in next month’s international showcase after authoring one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory — a microscopic 1.97 ERA paired with a 216/42 K/BB ratio across 187 2/3 innings that culminated in his first Cy Young Award. The numbers weren’t just impressive; they felt disproportionate, like the statistical profile of someone operating on a slightly different axis than the rest of the league. Now he carries that gravity onto a global stage.