Paul Skenes Feels World Baseball Classic Had Impact on His Velocity and Effectiveness
No, he hasn’t quite looked like himself this year. He knows it. Baseball fans have noticed it. However, Skenes believes he understands why he is isn’t pitching as well as he could and should. Paul Skenes feels the World Baseball Classic unfortunately had an impact on his velocity and effectiveness this season.
All season the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Skenes hasn’t been himself. When Skenes was first asked about his decreased velocity this season, he’d said it was intentional. As the season continued and things did not pick up from the mound; he began to admit he wasn’t sure where it went.
Furthermore, it was not just a velocity issue. Skenes’ laser command was gone. Allowing more runs than previously.
However, as time ticks by Paul feels he has more clarity. There is no longer a mystery clouding over his pitching. As he’s looked back, he’s identified “one big change” this year: the World Baseball Classic.
While not the sole factor, he believes his Team USA participation may be “the root” of this year’s velo drop. Skenes told Colin Beazley of the Post Gazette,
“There are a lot of other factors, so I don’t want to put everything on that,” the star Pirates pitcher told the Post-Gazette over the weekend. “But I feel like that was kind of the root of it a little bit.
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. 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.
When you go outing to outing, you don’t really see the big picture sometimes. And I think looking back, I can kind of see it now. Because early in the season, you can get away with stuff mechanically or you might not be moving perfectly, but you’re fresh and the velo is there because you’re feeling good.
Can’t get away with that in July and August and September. I didn’t really have a number on it. But I would have liked to throw harder than I have this year.
Stuff changes over the course of the season and from outing to outing. With that said, there’s been a lot more changes, outing to outing this year, that I kind of just don’t have an answer for body-wise.
I didn’t feel like I had my delivery. It’s just weird. It’s easier to kind of put your finger on it after the fact than it is in the moment.”
Paul Skenes Feels World Baseball Classic Had Impact on His Velocity and Effectiveness
Skenes average fastball is down to 96.8 mph after sitting 98.1 last season. Paul’s full transparency about his pitching could possibly lead to more hesitancy among star players to participate in the WBC next time around. Obviously, every pitcher is different. There’s some hurlers that participated in the WBC and didn’t suffer something similar.
However, Skenes statement will not be overlooked. A reigning Cy Young winner who lost some of his dominant edge. Is something that ball clubs want to avoid. At the very least this may open up more discussions on WBC changes.
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