Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes left baseball fans at a loss for words over his nasty arsenal of pitches that made the Tampa Bay Rays look foolish all day long.
Paul Skenes was nearly perfect in Wednesday’s afternoon game against the Rays, going seven innings with six strikeouts, three hits and just one earned run in a 4-2 victory. The Pirates snapped a four-game losing skid and avoided the sweep to improve to 2-5 on the young season.
Skenes’ ridiculous arsenal of pitches left Rays hitters without any answers. Popular X/Twitter personality Rob Friedman, known as the “Pitching Ninja”, shared clips of Skenes’ best performances today:
Paul Skenes, Nasty 87mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/FGZ3RP1V2Y
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 2, 2025
Paul Skenes, 99mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/rjWgyWB64G
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 2, 2025
Paul Skenes, 98mph on his 102nd pitch.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 2, 2025
6th K. pic.twitter.com/acRlKe35Ru
Paul Skenes, Filthy 93mph Splinker. 😷 pic.twitter.com/VTaWQdLw3k
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 2, 2025
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Social media had all sorts of epic reactions to Paul Skenes’ field day on the mound:
“lol, the old 87mph change! Skenes is a monster,” wrote a fan.
lol, the old 87mph change! Skenes is a monster
— Sam Sarsaparilla (@uathbhas) April 2, 2025
“He is painting right now…. my goodness 😮💨,” said another.
He is painting right now…. my goodness 😮💨
— Nathan Keener (@nate23keener) April 2, 2025
“Not filth, just straight gas,” quipped a user.
Not filth, just straight gas
— 💀Trouble💀 (@JustGetOnBase) April 2, 2025
“Gen Z prime Verlander,” wrote another fan.
Gen Z prime Verlander
— Tub (@Kaytub) April 2, 2025
“Man, this guy is a joy to watch throw a ball,” said a user.
Man, this guy is a joy to watch throw a ball
— TheGauthfather (@thegauthfather) April 2, 2025
“Quality conditioning and endurance, wrote a fan.
Quality conditioning and endurance.
— Ryan DeQuiroz (@Ryan_DeQuiroz) April 2, 2025
The Pirates drafted Skenes with the No. 1 pick in 2023, two years after using the top selection on catcher Henry Davis. 12 years before taking Skenes, the Pirates used the first overall pick on future superstar Gerrit Cole.
Paul Skenes had a rookie season for the ages in 2024, going 11-3 with 170 strikeouts and a 1.96 ERA in 133 innings pitches. Skenes finished with a ridiculous 5.9 WAR, earning NL Rookie of the Year, All-Star and All-MLB First Team honors.
Paul Skenes Is Slated To Start vs. Cardinals Next Tuesday
Having wrapped up their series against the Rays, the Pirates will get a day off before beginning a three-game home series against the New York Yankees.
Skenes is scheduled to start next Tuesday at home against the NL Central rival St. Louis Cardinals, the second of a three-game series. Mitch Keller, who won his season debut against the Miami Marlins last week, will get the ball against Yankees ace Max Fried on Friday.
Also Read: Livvy Dunne And Paul Skenes Cause A Major Stir With Their Recent GQ Magazine Photoshoot
