Pittsburgh Pirates Starting Pitcher Paul Skenes was at the top of this game this afternoon at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He tossed a scoreless first inning for a whopping 27th consecutive start(22 straight to begin this season). He finished the day with 6 scoreless innings and punched out 9.
Skenes is putting together a Cy Young-caliber season. He is leading the league in ERA, fifth in strikeouts, fourth in WHIP, and leading the Major League Baseball in opposing batting average. Will he continue pitching at this level over the summer?
Paul Skenes Career Summary
The @Pirates' Paul Skenes has completed 22 straight first innings without allowing a run this season.
That is tied for the longest streak to begin any MLB campaign in the last 50 years, along with Juan Guzman (1992) and Reese Olson (2024). pic.twitter.com/vyFOJY1whu
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) July 27, 2025
Skenes has been one of the most electrifying pitchers in Major League Baseball since debuting with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. He took the league by storm during his rookie campaign. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year, an MLB All-Star in his rookie year, and finished third in NL Cy Young voting. He has also started the All-Star Game in both of his seasons in the big leagues.
Final Thoughts
The next scheduled start for Skenes will come on the road next week against the Colorado Rockies. Even though the Rockies do not have a potent offense, the young ace must contend with the altitude at Coors Field. That field is a hitter’s paradise he has never had to contend with.
