On Sunday, May 18, Citizens Bank Park was filled with a deafening roar, not just from the loyal Philly Phanatics but also from the raw, irrefutable power coming from the mound! This wasn’t just another Sunday afternoon game; it was a battle between the strong Philadelphia Phillies lineup and the emerging superstar Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was a dazzling display of velocity, and what followed was, of course, a comparison with the pitching GOAT.

On the other side stood Bryce Harper, a power-hitting batter. The Skenes show began with back-to-back three fastballs, and a flurry of motion that registered 99,99, and then 100 mph on the radar gun. Whereas Harper, the two-time National League MVP, was struck out. The crowd went wild when Skenes left the mound. His statement was heard beyond the ballpark: I’m here and not backing down!

And it’s not the first time we’ve seen Skenes do that. He has always carried that kind of fierce attitude since his rookie days, even when he stood before Shohei Ohtani. In a recent episode of the podcast ‘The Mayor’s Office,’ Sean Casey and Rich Ciancimino talked about how Skenes isn’t afraid to pitch. They highlighted this very moment and said, “Three pitches, two in a strikeout of Bryce Harper, 99, 99, and 100. He threw 100 mile per hour fastball chest high, right at him, and struck him out. I think Skenes’ lineup with Harper like, ‘hey man, much respect for you, let’s just get it on.’ He did it with Ohtani. He went ahead to as a rookie. He was like get it on.”

Back in June 2024, Skenes faced Ohtani for the first time. And you know what he did? He struck out Ohtani three times with pitches that were all faster than 100 mph. And he is still doing it. His strategy and performance have reminded Casey and Ciancimino of none other than Hall of Famer John Smoltz. In the same podcast, they said, “We always talk, John smoltz always talks about like he would have an at bat in the regular season with the Barry Bond, thinking of the play-offs. When he was going to face him. He has that kind of mentality.” A keen and great observation, one might say.

One of Smoltz’s most amazing accomplishments is striking out Bonds 16 times, which shows how skilled and determined he was. As a young player, Skenes already has a similar attitude, going up against the best players in the game with complete confidence.

With 62.2 innings thrown as of May 2025, Skenes has a very good 2.44 ERA. He has 62 strikeouts, which puts him among the best relievers in the league. These numbers speak volumes, especially considering the tough opponents he’s faced and the difficult situations he’s been in.

Skenes has certainly established himself among the top pitchers in the league, but looking at the performance of the Pirates as a whole, his abilities are just going to waste. And looks like he has started to realize it.

Paul Skenes: A lone star in Pittsburgh’s dimming galaxy

Skenes is once again coming off an impressive game on the mound, yet the Pirates stumbled and endured a blowout 1-0 loss. This marked the sixth time this season that they lost a game in which he allowed only one run.

The Pirates have problems that go beyond this one game. They are now in last place in their division, and the team’s offensive struggles have been a constant problem. We witnessed something very similar against the Cardinals on May 6. In Skenes’ five starts against the St. Louis Cardinals, he has only received three runs of support while he was in the game. Even though their pitching staff has been doing well, the club has struggled due to a lack of run support.

The situation has been hard for Skenes, both personally and professionally. After the loss to the Phillies, he talked about how hard the club was having it. He said, “It’s not all in the hands of any one individual. That’s how we get going. We just control what we can control on an individual level. That’s been my approach. It always has been.” His comment highlights how he understands the team’s slump performance. But is it all worth it?

Skenes remain the center of attention as the Pirates go through this tough time. His steady pitching and leadership on the mound give the team a glimmer of hope. But the future is still unclear until there are major improvements in the team’s offense and overall teamwork. Both fans and analysts will be keeping a close eye on how the Pirates deal with these problems and whether they can rally around their star pitcher to turn the season around.