The World Baseball Classic may have only been a couple of weeks long, but its impact was felt all season long.
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has not been himself this year. His velocity has dipped, his command has been off, and after posting ERAs of 1.97 and 1.96, respectively, over the last two seasons, he has a 3.91 ERA this season. Why? Skenes said part of it was the World Baseball Classic.
“There are a lot of other factors, so I don’t want to put everything on that,” Skenes told the Post-Gazette. “But I feel like that was kind of the root of it a little bit.”
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Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on before a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif., on Aug. 26, 2026. (Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
The World Baseball Classic ran from March 3 to March 17 this year, and Skenes said at that time of year, pitchers aren’t throwing at max effort.
“Usually, that time of year, you’re kind of ramping up and it’s a little bit slow. You can kind of get onto the slope and find your body,” Skenes said. “One live (batting practice), you’re topping at 97 (mph), and then the next you’re 98, 99. And that wasn’t the case this year. … Looking back, I don’t think that really helped.”
Early in the season, Skenes pitched well despite not having his usual 98-mph fastball. In 2024, his rookie season, he averaged 98.8 mph, and last season he averaged 98.1 mph. This year, he is down to 96.8 mph.
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United States pitcher Paul Skenes (30) delivers a pitch against the Dominican Republic during a semifinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park on March 15, 2026. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
Skenes didn’t have a set number for how hard he wanted to throw; he just wanted to throw harder. The 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner said he made mechanical adjustments to try to improve his velocity, but nothing came of them.
“Unfortunately, it’s probably going to take an offseason to get it back,” Skenes said. “Yeah, it’s just tough.”
Skenes didn’t blame all of his struggles on the World Baseball Classic, but he believed it had an impact. He also said he isn’t the only pitcher who was impacted.
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Paul Skenes of the United States reacts in the first inning during a World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Mexico and the United States at Daikin Park on March 9, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)
“It definitely affected the year,” Skenes said. “Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m the only one.”
The Pirates hope their ace will have a strong offseason, return to form in 2027 and help the team make a postseason push, assuming there is a season amid the impending lockout.