Paul Skenes usually steps on the mound and delivers fireworks. But it’s not the kind of Skenes that the Pittsburgh Pirates fans saw on Thursday night. In a surprising twist, the 22-year-old phenom who had taken MLB by storm since his debut was tagged hard by the Chicago Cubs in an 8-3 loss in PNC Park. And it’s almost unreal, because it’s Paul Skenes one is talking about.

The same player who is the reigning Rookie of the Year, the 2024 All-Star Game starter, and the guy many are calling the future of baseball. But here is the thing about baseball—it’s never static, and nothing is ever guaranteed.

So, on Thursday, Skenes found himself on the wrong end of the Cubs’ power play.

After holding off the Chicago Cubs’ offense for four innings, the fifth dramatically unraveled everything. Dansby Swanson lit the fuse with a huge solo shot to the center. Then, with two outs, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki came in and went back-to-back with hits. Tucker crushed a four-seamer, and Suzuki another splitter.

Just like that, three homers in one inning. And Paul Skenes was done after five innings—his shortest outing of the year so far. It didn’t stop there; Suzuki returned two innings later and this time faced Kyle Nicolas and launched his second homer of the game. By now, the game had already slipped way past the Pirates.

And what followed was a swift wave of backlash. Social media just lit up with critics calling the ace overrated, pointing fingers at the hype machine that has followed him since his college days.

Philadelphia Pirates fans react after the Cubs rock Paul Skenes

Fans didn’t want to hide their feelings, simply calling Skenes overrated. And truth be told, Skenes in the game with the Cubs didn’t get hit; he got humbled. One might say, maybe they brought him back to earth. However, this downward spiral was actually seen even at his game with the St. Louis Cardinals just weeks earlier. There, he had the worst start too and earned backlash from fans, and this Cubs outing made that roar louder.

A fan simply wanted to throw that sarcastic jibe. Is it excessive? Sure! But then it’s classic social media. At the end, it isn’t about Skenes being fine; it’s about fans releasing pent-up frustration, especially for those in Pittsburgh watching another generational talent struggle on a last-place team. They have seen the team burn before, and the numbers now tell that same story.

A fan dared to remind how Skenes has always been a hype man. And well, it is true, because of the college dominance, his rapid rise through the minors, and his heady debut. Most labeled him as the next big thing. So when a guy with a 100+ mph heater and control gives up to the Cubs, the backlash kicks in. So it’s not like fans believe the potential is fake– it’s that expectations were already set at a high number.

A user went with the classic comment and targeted their personal life. When someone becomes a media darling and has a high-profile relationship, this comment for sure will graze their comment sections. Skenes is in a relationship with Olivia Dunne, and they are known as the ‘it’ couple of today. And not to mention, they have a huge social media following, with fans simply multiplying to watch them both. But blaming Dunne might be a half joke or half jealousy.

This fan comment was not even about Skenes—not directly anyway. It’s about everything that’s around him. Fans see a once-in-a-generation pitcher getting no support from the Pirates front office. The offense is not consistent, the defense is shaky, and the team is penny-pinching. So fans feel a sense of déjà vu. They say Gerrit Cole blossoms somewhere else, same with Andrew McCutchen.

If anything, the blame might be on the Pirates’ higher-ups. Just one person can’t create magic; they need depth; they need to spend and build a team around Skenes. Or it won’t be surprising if he ups and leaves. Now, Skenes might be having a bad outing, but much of the heat Bob Nutting does have to take. What do you think?