Paul Skenes pitched another uncharacteristic outing Tuesday that ended with the National League’s reigning Cy Young Award winner departing after just five innings and 65 pitches in a 2-0 loss to the Miami Marlins.“If I were the manager, I’d probably do it, too,” Skenes told reporters. “Wish I could’ve gone more, but it kinda is what it is.”Though Skenes limited the damage to just two runs (one earned) on five hits with four strikeouts against one walk, he’d been hit hard all night at LoanDepot Park. Of the 21 batters Skenes faced, eight recorded hard-hit balls, which are batted at 95 mph or greater. His velocity has continued to sink lower than his average speed in past seasons.Specifically, his four-seam fastball sat at 95.7 mph and topped out at 96.5 mph. The 95.7 mph average was down from his 2026 average of 96.9. That was down from 2024, his rookie year, and 2025.
Paul Skenes' average fastball velocity SeasonAverage Velocity202498.8 mph202598.1 mph202696.9 mphAug 1195.7 mph
The 65 pitches thrown represent the third fewest Skenes has delivered in an outing this season, after an Opening Day meltdown against the New York Mets in which he lasted two-thirds of an inning (37 pitches) and an April home start against the Tampa Bay Rays (64 pitches).“He’s the manager, and I don’t ever argue with it,” Skenes said when asked whether he’d pleaded his case with manager Don Kelly. “Like I said, I understand why.”
