Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes broke the internet again with a filthy delivery of his virtually unhittable splitter.
Paul Skenes, who was drafted first overall by the Pirates last year, is off to a strong start in his rookie season with 21 strikeouts and a 2.25 ERA in three game appearances (16 total innings pitched).
Skenes turned in a phenomenal performance against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, allowing six hits and only one earned run in six innings. Allow this slo-mo video below to give you a glimpse of just how dominant he was with his control:
Here’s how social media reacted to Skenes’ nasty pitch:
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Skenes finished the day with three strikeouts and forced nine groundballs from San Francisco hitters. Unfortunately, his efforts weren’t enough as the Giants snuck past the home team with a 7-6 victory.
The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Paul Skenes is 1-0 over his first three MLB starts. The Pirates won the first two games started by the rookie, both victories against the NL Central division rival Chicago Cubs.
The Pirates (23-28) begin a three-game home series against the powerhouse Atlanta Braves on Friday evening. After that, they’ll begin a five-game road trip against the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Future Is Bright With Paul Skenes
The Pirates have been one of North America’s worst sports franchises over the last nine years. They haven’t qualified for the postseason since 2015, and the organization has just one playoff series win (the 2013 NL Wild Card Game) since 1993.
But Pittsburgh has a promising young core that should provide plenty of long-term optimism for the fans. It obviously starts with Paul Skenes, who should emerge as one of baseball’s top pitchers in short time.
And with one of baseball’s deepest farm systems, there’s good reason to believe that Pittsburgh can become a top Moneyball team in the not-so-distant future, just like the Baltimore Orioles.
Also Read: Ranking All 30 MLB Teams After Week 7 Games
