PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Paul Skenes called 2026 ‘a grind’ for him as he went 6.1 innings giving up a run on three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in his last start of the season in a 2-1 Pirates win over the Cardinals Thursday afternoon clinching a non-losing season.
For the season, 32 starts, 174.1 innings, 3.82 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and .227 batting average against. Those last three numbers all career worsts after a pair of spectacular seasons winning national awards in each.
“It was definitely a grind,” Skenes said. “I think it was a good year. I don’t think it was to the caliber of the last two years, but I’m not gonna sit around all offseason thinking about how bad this season was, because I just don’t think that’s true.”
“I understand the standard that was set the last couple of years, but I think there was a lot of good and stuff to get better at. Probably some low-hanging fruit and some other stuff to address in the offseason, but the thing that I’m happiest about is the 32 starts.”
Skenes also reached 200 strikeouts for consecutive seasons, the first Pirates pitcher to do that in six decades.
He told Pittsburgh reporters after the game he pushed manager Don Kelly to go back there to start the seventh inning.
“I think if I had gotten a strikeout in the sixth there, I wouldn’t have gone back out, but I basically asked for one hitter and he gave it to me,” Skenes said. “I appreciate that. Obviously, ended up doing it, but if I hadn’t gotten it there, I would be sitting at 199.”
“It probably shouldn’t have come down to the last hitter of the season, but it does. The bigger thing, I think, is making 32 starts. That’s the thing I’ll hang my hat on this year.”
As for the talk adversity is good for him and he’ll be better off for having it. He said ‘we’ll see’. He doesn’t see it hurting, but he won’t know the impact of what he learned until he starts pitching in games again next year.
The 24-year-old doesn’t believe there is anything that needs to be completely overhauled. He is going to take some time, really look at the year, all of it without any emotional decisions. Skenes wants to look big picture, but he won’t get into that until he takes about a month off. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner plans to just completely unwind, get the stress off his plate and he said offseason work begins on October 24.
But don’t think he’s lost any confidence in himself of where the Pirates are heading.
“I think my best baseball is ahead of me,” Skenes said. “I think our best baseball is ahead of us.”
What 24-year-old said about the season, plans for offseason
What 24-year-old said about the season, plans for offseason
