MIAMI -- After winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award and the NL Cy Young Award over his first two Major League seasons, Paul Skenes aimed to maintain that success in Year 3, according to Pirates manager Don Kelly.
That desire has led to a challenge. Skenes sports a 3.88 ERA this season, while his average fastball velocity has dipped from 98.2 mph last season to 96.9 mph. His walk rate had also climbed to 6.8%, compared with 6.2% in 2024 and 5.7% in 2025.
“The league is adjusting back,” Kelly said before the Pirates' 2-0 loss to the Marlins at loanDepot park on Tuesday. “Paul's gonna have to fight to make the adjustment back to the league. ... Yes, the velo is down. I think command has been a bigger thing, at least for me.
“That could come from multiple things. Trying too hard to be too perfect. ... Well, you can't just go and try to get it. So how does Paul make the adjustment back?”
That is something Skenes is still trying to figure out. It was apparent against Miami, when he gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out four and walking one across five innings on 65 pitches, the fewest he’s thrown in a start since April 18.
“It was better in terms of attacking guys,” Skenes said of his outing. “Kind of making pitches earlier in the count.”
The call to the bullpen in the sixth from Kelly didn’t surprise Skenes, who said he probably would have made the same decision.
“[Kelly] walked me through everything and it all made sense,” Skenes said. “I wish I could have gone more, but you know, it kind of is what it is. … You see guys yell at the manager when they're coming out for a mound visit, and I've never done that.
“There probably will be a point in my career when I do do that, but I'm always straight with [Kelly]. He's always straight with me.”
Kelly said there are no injury concerns with Skenes, but most players are not 100 percent this deep into the season.
“He threw the ball pretty well for the most part,” Kelly said. “[Esteury] Ruiz hit the home run, and then some base hits throughout. I thought that last inning, velo was down a little bit. ... And [it] felt like it was just getting away from him.”
Skenes’ fastball average sat at 95.7 mph, down 1.2 from his average this season, and topped at 96.5. Two of his strikeouts came on ABS challenges from Pirates catcher Henry Davis, one in the third to Xavier Edwards and one to Heriberto Hernández in the fourth for a three-pitch strikeout.
“I feel like since the All-Star break, we've been a little bit better from a challenging perspective,” Kelly said. “We need to continue to work on it and be better. It can be a huge asset.”
Skenes worked around a first-inning single and a walk in the second before Miami broke through in the third. Ruiz sent a first-pitch, 95.5 mph four-seam fastball from Skenes into the Marlins' bullpen for his 14th home run allowed this season, giving Miami a 1-0 lead.
“He put a good swing on it,” Skenes said. “Tip your cap.”
Skenes pitched a scoreless fourth inning before Miami added to its lead in the fifth. After Ruiz was hit by a pitch, he stole second and scored on Edwards' single after a throwing error by shortstop Jacob Gonzalez.
The Marlins took a two-run lead, though it could have been worse had it not been for Bryan Reynolds' catch at the left-field wall to rob Griffin Conine of a home run to end the threat.
“It was a good catch. Super, super, super thankful for that,” Skenes said.
The Pirates are six games out of the final NL Wild Card spot, but the pressure to perform is something Pittsburgh must learn to live with down the stretch.
“I don't think you can really point at any one person,” Skenes said of the Pirates' recent struggles. “There are probably a few of us in the clubhouse that would say that we can pitch a little better, hit a little better, a little better defense or whatever it is.
“We just gotta enjoy it, and find the joy in the game and have fun. And if we do that, then we'll get back to who we are.”