Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes had a rather uninspiring MLB debut on May 11, allowing three runs in four innings of work.
However, his last start was proof of the level of domination he can exercise over opposing lineups.
Last week, he held the Chicago Cubs to no hits or runs with just one walk over six innings, striking out 11.
Skenes took the ball for his third MLB start on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants and is throwing another excellent game.
The league’s official Twitter account posted a video of the right-hander striking out Jorge Soler in impressive fashion.
The caption, however, is everything.
“A baseball is already hard enough to hit. Paul Skenes makes it even tougher,” they wrote, with a slow-motion clip of the pitch and the empty swing.
A baseball is already hard enough to hit.
Paul Skenes makes it even tougher. pic.twitter.com/5O0JLKVHxh
— MLB (@MLB) May 23, 2024
It isn’t clear in the video if Skenes threw a slider or a fastball, but it doesn’t matter: both are incredibly impressive.
The former can reach the plate at 101 or 102 mph, significantly limiting the hitter’s reaction time.
The latter is another nasty offering that gets him lots of swings and misses; and it’s his second-most frequently used pitch.
Besides his excellent arsenal, Skenes has another thing that many flamethrowers lack: control and command.
He knows where the ball is going, and that’s what makes him different: he has a plan and has enough precision to execute it.
As long as Skenes is healthy, he will give the Pirates a very good chance of remaining competitive enough to contend for the postseason.
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