Is it fair to say Paul Skenes needs to be better?
He hasn’t been bad at all. In fact, He’s 3-3 and would probably have a better record if he had more run support. And, he has an ERA under 3.00 (currently 2.74).
Other than the game in Los Angeles against the Dodgers this season, Adam Crowley says Skenes has “kinda been ho hum this season. He’s kinda been ehh, by the standards we hold him to.”
Dorin Dickerson says Skenes is far down, if not at the bottom of the list of issues for the Pirates struggles, but he can be blamed in some situations.
“I think if you have a lead and you really never do whenever Paul Skenes is in, if you keep up a lead and then he gives up some homers . . . I think you can blame him,” said Dickerson.
“Paul Skenes through seven starts has been disappointing,” said Crowley.
“They’re 3-4 in his starts, his fastball velocity is down, his strike outs per 9 are significantly, he had the league’s best ERA last year, it’s 25th right now, need I saw more?” said Crowley.
Post-Gazette columnist Jason Mackey, of the Fan, said “it’s stupid” to think Skenes is an issue.
Crowley says he’s just trying to say that Skenes hasn’t been as good as he expected. That doesn’t mean he won’t be dominant and/or win the Cy Young award this year, but right now, he’s been disappointing.