Wednesday was Paul Skenes’ final start of the 2025 MLB season, and he made it count.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ace was in top form against the Cincinnati Reds, firing six shutout innings in a terrific pitching duel with Hunter Greene. Skenes scattered four hits and no walks, racked up seven strikeouts and threw 57 of his 85 pitches for strikes, helping the Pirates to a 4-3 win at Great American Ball Park.
Skenes’s second strikeout of the evening was his 211th of the season, setting a Pittsburgh team record for most strikeouts by a right-handed pitcher in a single season (a record previously held by teammate Mitch Keller). He upped that number to 216 before departing.
The 23-year-old righty also lowered his ERA to an MLB-best 1.97, making him the first qualified pitcher with a sub-2.00 ERA in his age-23 season or younger since Dwight Gooden in 1985. He also became just the fifth pitcher in the Live Ball Era (since 1920) to post a sub-2.00 ERA over at least 23 starts in back-to-back seasons.
Unfortunately for Skenes, he settled for a no-decision, as the Pirates didn’t prevail until extra innings. Accordingly, he finishes the year with a 10-10 record, making him the first pitcher in MLB history to have a sub-2.00 ERA and 200-plus strikeouts but not post a winning record.
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Regardless, Skenes cemented his case for the NL Cy Young Award, which he may win unanimously. After posting a 1.96 ERA and winning NL Rookie of the Year honors last season, his career is off to a historic start.
It will be interesting to see what Skenes does for an encore in 2026, especially if Pittsburgh puts more talent around him this offseason. Regardless, his magnificent 2025 campaign was one for the record books.
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Featured image via Jeff Curry/Imagn Images