Pirates Star Paul Skenes Unveils Another New Pitch In Spring Start

Pittsburgh Pirates star Paul Skenes flashed his dominance Monday in his second-to-last spring training start against the Minnesota Twins.

He also used the outing to unveil a new pitch he has been working on behind-the-scenes.

Skenes, who added a cutter to his arsenal this offseason, worked on developing a sinker over the winter and hadn’t put it to use much in game action until Monday. But when he did, Skenes liked what he saw from the pitch.

“I got a couple outs on it today, so that’s all (the feedback) I need,” Skenes told reporters, per MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf. “I haven’t thrown it a ton before today in spring training, but I’m happy with where it is.”

How Skenes’ traditional sinker is different from his splinker — a mix between a splitter and a sinker — is difficult to figure out. There appears to be a some nuance to the two pitches, which Skenes believes benefits him when he’s on the mound.

“Just giving it another shape, I think, for hitters to respect,” Skenes said. “I think it complements my other pitches well by missing barrels.”

With help from his sinker, Skenes struck out seven Twins and scattered five hits, while allowing one run and three walks. Skenes’ final start of the exhibition slate comes Saturday.