Paul Skenes points to World Baseball Classic as the 'root' of his pitching woes this season

Paul Skenes has not looked like the same pitcher who won the 2025 National League Cy Young Award.

Ahead of his final scheduled start of the 2026 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates ace has a 3.97 ERA over his 31 starts this year.

The starting pitcher was asked about the difference this season , and he pointed to the World Baseball Classic in early 2026 as a possible reason for his struggles with command and velocity.

"There are a lot of other factors, so I don't want to put everything on that," Skenes said. "But I feel like that was kind of the root of it a little bit."

The WBC lasted from March 5 to 17. At the time, there was plenty of discussion about players who opted not to play in an effort to prepare for the upcoming season. Players who opted out or made only minimal appearances, such as Tarik Skubal, were scrutinized.

Hindsight being 20/20, though, Skenes thinks the WBC could have been a catalyst for all the factors that led to his uncharacteristically down year, especially given the tournament's timing.

"Usually, that time of year, you're kind of ramping up, and it's a little bit slow. You can kind of get onto the slope and find your body. One live [batting practice], you're topping at 97 [mph], and then the next you're 98, 99. And that wasn't the case this year. ... Looking back, I don't think that really helped."

Last year, Skenes made 32 starts and posted a 1.97 ERA along with a 10-10 record. He struck out 216 batters in 187 2/3 innings of work. His numbers, at least in strikeouts, are similar, as he has fanned 192 batters in 168 innings this year.

The biggest difference has been his velocity. The flamethrower was known for consistently touching triple digits on the radar gun, but this year it has become a rarity. As a rookie in 2024, Skenes' fastball averaged 98.8 mph, and dipped slightly last year to 98.1 mph.

This year, though, his fastball has dropped even further to 96.8 mph.

"Unfortunately, it's probably going to take an offseason to get it back. [The WBC] definitely affected the year. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm the only one.