Ability to make swift in-game adjustments showcases maturity of Pirates' Paul Skenes

It’s no secret Paul Skenes possesses an elite fastball.

Skenes’ triple-digit heater was a major source of attraction for the Pittsburgh Pirates when selecting him as the first overall pick in last year’s draft.

Since making his MLB debut in May, the 22-year-old rookie has blown by countless batters with his four-seamer.

But there’s a stark difference between elite and unhittable, something Skenes has become aware of as he faces more MLB lineups with each start.

On June 23, Tampa Bay Rays leadoff man Yandy Diaz cracked the first pitch of the game from Skenes, a 99.5 mph heater, off the Clemente Wall foul pole at PNC Park for an early home run.

Yandy Díaz took all of one pitch to open to scoring against Paul Skenes and the Pirates ????

???? @RaysBaseballpic.twitter.com/UWW3z8y3Q2

— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) June 23, 2024

Skenes’ previous start against Cincinnati featured the Reds scoring a first-inning run by dialing in on the fastball, with Spencer Steer connecting on a 101 mph pitch for an RBI double.

There's a first time for everything.

Spencer Steer smacks a two-out RBI double to center field and gives the @Reds a 1-0 lead over the Pirates in the first inning. That was the first first-inning run allowed by rookie pitcher Paul Skenes since joining the Pirates in May. pic.twitter.com/vA8aTCr3Us

— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) June 17, 2024

Then, Saturday in Atlanta, Skenes allowed another leadoff homer, this time to Jarred Kelenic.

For Skenes, those situations are when the chess match with batters begins, where he can quickly adjust his pitch sequencing and unload his full arsenal.

“It’s definitely fun to be able to pitch like that and play a little bit more of a mind game with (batters),” Skenes said. “ … There’s always something to learn, good or bad, from an outing.”

When he’s detected batters are gearing up on his fastball, Skenes has had no qualms about shifting to an off-speed approach.

Whether that’s meant deploying his curveball with more frequency or sprinkling in additional changeups and sliders, Skenes’ in-game adjustments have been effective.

“I’ve heard hitters from (other teams) that I know that are like, ‘Man, the moment he starts mixing, and we just can’t sit on one pitch, it’s frustrating for us,’ ” said Pirates pitching coach Oscar Marin.

“Right now, his stuff is great. He’s overpowering guys, and as soon as he’s overpowering guys, he finds the ability to start mixing.”

While Skenes has less than two months of big-league experience under his belt, the Pirates have been pleased with his attention to detail.

Witnessing Skenes grow in the mental side of the game, complementing a first-class set of physical tools, has been rewarding for his coaches.

“He asks a lot of good questions, and I think that’s important,” manager Derek Shelton said. “He asks a lot of good questions, and he asks a lot of good follow-up questions. What that tells you is that he’s pretty locked in. You can ask a question and receive the answer, but for a young player to ask a question, receive the answer and have a follow-up question — that’s really important.

“That’s probably why he’s accelerated not only in professional baseball but in college baseball, also. Just the ability to take it and make adjustments.”

When he’s starting, Skenes is known to head straight for the dugout tunnel in between innings.

But during the period he has when the Pirates are batting, Skenes isn’t just retreating to a place of unbothered solitude.

He often utilizes that time to consult with Marin or the Pirates’ extended pitching coaches as well as catcher Yasmani Grandal.

“He does a really nice job of reading what hitters are trying to do and adjusting in-game from there,” Marin said. “That’s where a lot of the questions come from. ‘Hey, what do you think they’re doing here? What do you think about me going here with this guy? Did he swing at the first pitch in the last two at-bats? Did he not?’

“Those are the things, when he’s coming in (the dugout), that really give somebody direction on the way out towards their next inning, towards their next at-bat. Those are the types of questions he’s asking.”

Grandal has been impressed with Skenes’ level of preparation heading into each start, something fellow rookie Jared Jones also has demonstrated.

The Pirates currently are nurturing a next wave of top pitching prospects that includes Braxton Ashcraft at Triple-A and Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington at Double-A.

With those three potentially sharing rotation spots with Skenes and Jones in the years to come, Grandal sees the Pirates’ rookie standouts setting a good example.

“You’ve got to have guys on your staff that do the homework and work as hard as they do,” Grandal said. “Once they become the veterans, once they have a few years in the league, now you’re having this wave of pitchers that are coming through the minor leagues, getting to the big leagues and seeing them go about their business and you want them to do the same thing. So it’s almost like one of those follow-the-leader types of things.”