10 Paul Skenes stats that will blow you away

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie starting pitcher Paul Skenes was dominant again on Thursday afternoon in his team’s 1-0 over the Milwaukee Brewers. 

It completed the first half of his rookie season going into the All-Star break with some stunning numbers that have already made him one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball. 

Paul Skenes’ final first-half numbers, after his seven-inning, no-hit, 11-strikeout gem today:

66.1 innings
48 hits
13 walks
89 strikeouts
7 home runs
1.90 ERA
Opponent slash: .202/.251/.319
Average fastball velocity: 99.1 mph

The best pitcher in MLB since his debut May 11.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 11, 2024

He improved his argument to be the National League starter in the All-Star game, and also made some history in the process.

Let’s take a closer look at some of those first half numbers from him that will probably blow you away. 

No hits and 11 strikeouts two timesThursday’s win over the Brewers was already Skenes’ second start of the season where he has left a game by throwing at least six innings, allowing zero runs and striking out 11 batters. He is just the second pitcher in Major League Baseball history to do that twice in a single season. The only other: Nolan Ryan during the 1973 season. 

Pitchers to have multiple starts of 0 hits, 11+ strikeouts in a season:

Paul Skenes
Nolan Ryan

(via @OptaSTATS)

— Joe Block (@joe_block) July 11, 2024

Never left a game trailingWhile the Pirates have not won all 11 of Skenes’ starts (they are 8-3) he has left them in a great position every time out. Specifically, he has never exited a game with the Pirates trailing on the scoreboard. In all 11 starts the Pirates were either tied or leading at the time of his exit. That is the literal definition of always giving your team a chance. 

Eight straight starts with seven strikeoutsSkenes is one of the best strikeout pitchers in baseball and has fanned at least seven batters in eight consecutive starts. This one is actually a franchise record for the Pirates, and not just among rookies. That is a franchise record for any starter, regardless of experience level.

Paul Skenes has now recorded 7+ strikeouts in eight consecutive starts, a new franchise record! pic.twitter.com/PagN6aZ29s

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 11, 2024

12.1 strikeouts per nine inningsFollowing his 11 strikeout day on Wednesday, Skenes is now up to 89 strikeouts in 66.1 innings. That averages out to an astonishing 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings. The only starter in baseball averaging more is Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet who is at 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Carlos Rodon and Spencer Strider are the only two pitchers over the past two seasons that finished a full season averaging more than 12 per nine innings. 

1.90 ERAWednesday’s start dropped his ERA from 2.12 all the way down to 1.90 for the season. While he does not have enough innings to qualify for the league lead, that number would be the best in the Major Leagues among qualified starters. Just for perspective, Kansas City Royals starter Seth Lugo entered Thursday with the top ERA among qualified pitchers at 2.21, while Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal was second at 2.37. They are the only starters with an ERA under 2.40.

1.15 ERA in past six startsAs impressive as that season number is, he is actually getting better. After Wednesday his ERA over his past six starts is just 1.15, allowing only five earned runs in that stretch. He also faced several playoff caliber teams during that stretch including the Cardinals, Braves, Mets and Brewers. 

0.90 WHIPAlong without giving up any runs, he also doesn’t allow many base runners with a 0.90 WHIP. In his 66 innings he has allowed just 48 hits and walked only 13 batters. 

Average fastball velocity of 99.1No starter has thrown more 100 mph fastballs than Skenes this season, and even when he is not hitting triple digits he is still consistently in the upper 90s. His average four-seam fastball velocity for the season is 99.1 mph, tops among all starters in baseball and fifth among all pitchers. The only four pitchers ahead of him are all relief pitchers. Jose Soriano (Los Angeles Angels) is the only other starter averaging 98 or more. 

Opponents average of .202Opposing hitters are approaching the Mendoza Line (.200 or lower) when facing Skenes, as he is limiting the league to a .202 batting average through Thursday’s start. Batting averages are down across the league this season, but the league average is still in the .238-.240 range. Hitters are not even close to that against Skenes. 

Opponents OPS of .570The opponents average might not even be the most impressive. He is also limiting opposing hitters to a .570 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage). Of the 139 hitters across the Major Leagues that are qualified for the batting title, the two worst OPS belong to the Mets’ Jeff McNeil (.583) and Braves’ Orlando Arcia (.564). In other words, when opposing hitters face Skenes, they hit on average like the absolute worst hitter in baseball.