Paul Skenes Is In Biggest Slump Of His Career With 0 Wins Over Last 9 Starts, And Jacob Misiorowski Is Taking Over

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

Paul Skenes has hit the skids.

As unbelievable as it sounds, it is true.

The former LSU All-American national champion, College World Series MVP and first pick of the Major League Baseball Draft in 2023 got off to one of the greatest starts of any pitcher in MLB history in 2024 and ’25. He won the National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young, respectively, while starting the All-Star game twice while hitting 100 mph and striking out batters like it was nothing.

From The Vault: Why Paul Skenes should’ve been Born On The Fourth of July:https://t.co/ntZ3UzaaUM

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) July 3, 2026

Skenes, 24, got off to a 6-2 start this season and had an ERA of 1.98 after a win over Colorado on May 12 in which he threw eight innings of two-hit, shutout ball with 10 strikeouts and zero walks. He even had an impressive streak of games and batters without a walk.

Paul Skenes Zeroing In On No-Hitter And Not Far From Walk-less, Consecutive Inning Record

But that’s when the trouble started for the Lake Forest, California, native who transferred to LSU after the 2022 season from Air Force. That was on May 17 against Philadelphia.

Paul Skenes’ No-Walk Streak Ends, And He Loses, But Still Strikes Out 7

He has not won a game since May 12 through nine starts, including an 0-6 mark in decisions. He has a 5.36 ERA over that span with 28 earned runs allowed over 47 innings. Skenes has not pitched more than six innings since May 12 and could go only four innings in his last two starts.

After a 10-6 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday, Skenes dropped to 6-8 on the season with a 3.62 ERA. That start against the Phillies was the worst of his three-year MLB career as he allowed six hits and seven earned runs with a pair of home runs in four innings around two walks and a hit batsman with five strikeouts.

Paul Skenes on his selection to the 2026 All-Star Game:

"I was shocked that I was the only [Pirate]… we have the 3rd most runs in baseball. Our offense is just a buzzsaw…" ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/VrWAyosQUM

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) July 5, 2026

He still was selected on Saturday to the All-Star Game (July 14 in Philadelphia) for the third consecutive season, though, and will be the only Pirate.

From The Fourth Of July Vault: https://t.co/etN9QgOYrg

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) July 4, 2026

That after going 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 2024 for the punchless Pirates (76-86 for last in the NL East) with 170 strikeouts in 133 innings and 10-10 with an MLB-best 1.97 ERA in 2025 for the punchless Pirates (71-91 for last in the NL East) with 216 strikeouts in 187 and two-thirds innings.

The worst part of Skene’s sudden sinking to earth is that his velocity is dipping from an average of 98.2 last season to 94 on Wednesday.

“Yeah, I don’t know,” Skenes deadpanned after the game. “Um, it happens.”

But it hasn’t happened to Skenes. So, it could be an injury or a tweak that is being kept quiet. Because he has altered his mechanics.

Paul Skenes, 100mph Fastball (2025/Light Hat) vs. 94mph Fastball (2026/Black Hat), mechanics. pic.twitter.com/OxxkOJk3zl

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 2, 2026

“I’m not sure,” Skenes said when asked what has to happen for him to return to form. “But we’ll turn ’em over. We’ll figure out what it is, and just keep attacking it. I just didn’t execute very well. That’s pretty much what it goes down to.”

Asked what led to his trouble against Philadelphia, he said, “Yeah, just fell behind in some counts. I left some balls over the plate. I’ve got to execute a few pitches a little better, and I think it’s probably a different story.”

It’s a story he is not used to, though.

“Just breaking balls that cut too much of the plate,” he said of the two homers allowed to the Phillies.

“It’s Paul. He’s the best pitcher,” said third baseman Nick Gonzales, whose error scored two runs for the Phillies when he fielded an easy grounder, but his throw home hit Alec Bohm. “Cy Young last year, and we’re confident that whatever ups or downs he has (or the Pirates have), he’s going to pursue through it and he’s going to be Paul Skenes.”

Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly is confident that Skenes and pitching coach Bill Murphy will figure it out.

“He’s always looking at what he’s doing, trying to adjust it and tweak it,” Kelly said.

Meanwhile, a near LSU teammate of Skenes in 2023 is the latest phenom pitcher in MLB.

Second-year Milwaukee Brewer Jacob Misiorowski is 9-4 on the season with a 1.47 ERA this season with 156 strikeouts in 104 innings through 17 starts. Skenes has 119 strikeouts in 97 innings through 18 starts. Misiorowski also recently threw the fastest pitch ever recorded in MLB history (with tracking starting only in 2008) at 105.5 miles per hour.

Misiorowski and Skenes could have been in the same LSU rotation in 2023. Misiorowski, of Blue Springs, Missouri, committed to transfer to LSU after his 2022 season at Crowder Junior College in Neosho, Missouri. But after averaging 99.8 mph at a MLB Combine that summer, the Brewers took him in the second round and paid him $2.35 million.

Misiorowski has hit 100 mph or higher an MLB record 569 times this season and is averaging 100.3 a pitch. Skenes hit 100 mph or higher 228 times in his first two seasons, but has not touched 100 this season and is averaging 97 now.