5 unlikely Pirates pitching seasons that topped Paul Skenes' 10-10 record

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes just put a cap on what was an absolutely historic sophomore campaign. In his second year in the Major Leagues, Skenes put up a 1.97 ERA/218 ERA+, a 2.37 FIP, and 0.95 WHIP over 187.2 innings pitched. Skenes got 29.4% of his opponents to go down on strikes, and he only handed out walks at a 5.7% pace. He was also home run immune, with a HR/9 of 0.53. 

His 2025 season was just as good, if not better, than his historic 2024 rookie campaign. But one thing that makes it stand out (in a bad way) is his 10-10 record. The only other pitcher in MLB history with ten or fewer wins in a season in which they made at least 30 starts, and had a 200+ ERA+, is Jacob deGrom in 2018, another historic season that many point to as one of the biggest missed opportunities in baseball history by a single team. 

Pitching wins and losses have been considered a poor stat to judge a pitcher’s ability for some time now. But because it’s such an unreliable stat that is so impacted by how a team scores, many not-as-great pitchers have had better records than Skenes in the past.

5 not-so-great Pirates pitchers who bested Paul Skenes' 2025 win-loss record

Steve Blass

Beloved former Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher, color commentator and member of the Pirates’ Hall of Fame Steve Blass once looked like he was well on his way to becoming one of the best pitchers in Pirates history. However, after 1972, he seemed to forget how to pitch.

Blass had broken out in 1968, when he had a 2.12 ERA/137 ERA+, 2.78 FIP, and 1.13 WHIP, but he struggled badly the following year, beginning his roller coaster career.

In 1969, Blass owned a 4.46 ERA, a 3.78 FIP, and a 1.40 WHIP over 210 innings pitched. His 16.2% strikeout percentage and 9.5% walk rate were both about league average for the time. However, his 0.90 HR/9 ratio was below the league average. Blass had just -1.4 bWAR that season. His ERA+, which takes into account park and league factors, pinned him at just 78, meaning he was 22% worse than league average.

Despite all of that, Blass racked up 16 wins and only 10 losses. The 1969 Pirates were one of the best run-scoring teams in the league that year. Their 725 runs scored tally was the sixth-best in the league. Six of the seven batters who had at least 450 plate appearances that year had an OPS+ over 105, with the lowest being Manny Sanguillen at 106, and the highest being Roberto Clemente at 168. Blass was given plenty of opportunities for run support.

Lee Meadows

You don’t often see a pitcher win 20 games and have a below-average ERA+. The last MLB pitcher to do it was Joe Niekro in 1980. However, the last member of the Pirates to accomplish this was Lee Meadows. Meadows appeared in parts of 15 seasons from 1915 through 1929, suiting up for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Philadelphia Phillies, and, for seven seasons, the Pirates. He had some good years with the Pirates, such as 1927, when he had a 122 ERA+ and 5.4 bWAR. 

However, 1926 was not one of those years. Meadows had just a 3.97 ERA, with a 3.87 FIP and 1.35 WHIP. His 5.4% walk rate was great, but his 5.6% strikeout rate was alarming, even for the time. Meadows was very prone to allowing base hits. Meadows had a 10.1 hits/9 ratio and a .288 batting average against, which was also below average for his era. His ERA+ came in at just 98.

Meadows still went on to win 20 games in 31 starts/36 total appearances, while only getting hung with the loss nine times, but he played alongside stars of the game. The 1926 Pirates had three would-be future Hall of Fame players in their lineup, including outfielders Kiki Cuyler, Paul Waner, and Max Carey (in his twilight years), along with third baseman Pie Traynor.

Plus, six of the seven Pirates players who appeared in at least 100 games also had an above-average OPS+. Ironically, Meadows won the same number of games as fellow starter Ray Kremer won, while Kremer led the league in ERA (2.61), ERA+ (150), and finished third in MVP voting.

Bob Walk

Our second beloved Pirates color commentator that appears on this list is Bob Walk. Walk spent parts of 10 MLB seasons with the Pirates from 1984 through 1993. He pitched a total of 1,303 innings with the Bucs, working both as a long reliever and starting pitcher at multiple different points during his time in black and gold. He even made an All-Star Game in 1988. 

But 1989 would be one of Walk’s worst seasons as a starting pitcher. He made 31 starts in 33 appearances, pitching 196 innings. In that time, he had a poor 4.41 ERA, 3.97 FIP, and 1.39 WHIP. His ERA+ came in at just 76. Walk was never much of a strikeout pitcher, but his 9.8% K% was the eighth-lowest among qualified hurlers. His .721 opponent OPS was yet another blight against him.

Walk’s 76 ERA+ is the lowest by any Pirates pitcher in history to have at least 10 wins and no more than 10 losses. Walk took 13 Ws and 10 Ls in 1989. The 1989 Pirates were a below-.500 team. They definitely had some productive bats, like Gary Redus, Bobby Bonilla, Barry Bonds, Glenn Wilson, R.J. Reynolds, and Mike LaValliere. Somehow, in 13 of Walk’s 33 starts, the Pirates gave him six or more runs of support. For reference, Skenes got six or more runs during his starts just six times in 32 outings.

Gerrit Cole

Steve Blass, Lee Meadows, and Bob Walk all pitched an entire season’s worth of games. But Gerrit Cole, in his 2013 rookie season, did not. Before Skenes was the talk of Pittsburgh, the Pirates had what at the time was the best pitching prospect in baseball, Gerrit Cole. Cole’s first Major League season was a preview of things to come. However, he only pitched 117.1 innings in 19 starts. 

He was effective in those 19 outings. Cole put up a 3.22 ERA, 2.91 FIP, and a 1.17 WHIP. The right-hander got strikeouts at a slightly above-average rate of 21.1%, and was great at limiting walks with a 6% BB%. He kept the ball on the ground, like Ray Searage preached at the time, with a 49.1% GB% and a 0.54 HR/9 ratio.

Cole had 10 wins with only seven losses that year, and it’s obvious why. The 2013 Pirates were a magical team that made the playoffs for the first time since 1992. They were led by the NL MVP in Andrew McCutchen, and the NL home run leader in Pedro Alvarez. Russell Martin and Neil Walker delivered solid seasons at the plate as well. Role players, including Jordy Mercer, Gaby Sanchez, and Jose Tabata, were above-average bats. Cole had the sort of offense we wish Paul Skenes had this year.

Tony Watson

Do you know what is worse than a starter who didn’t even pitch an entire season having a better record than Skenes had in 2025? A reliever having a better record than Skenes had this season.

The last Pirates player to make all of his appearances out of the bullpen while reaching double-digit wins is former Pirates All-Star and all-time holds leader Tony Watson.

2014 was Watson’s best season. He tossed a career-high 77.1 innings while posting a 1.63 ERA, 2.29 FIP, and 1.02 WHIP. He struck out 26.6% of opponents with a microscopic 4.9% walk rate. A ground ball pitcher, Watson induced a GB at a 47.7% rate, while holding opponents to a HR/9 ratio of 0.53. His 34 holds this season were the second-most by any reliever in 2014.

Watson was handed the win on ten occasions and only lost twice. The 2014 Pirates were an outstanding team, boasting five batters with 350+ plate appearances and an OPS+ of over 115. This includes Andrew McCutchen, who led the league in OBP, OPS, and OPS+ and finished third in NL MVP voting. The Pirates were also one of the best late-game hitting teams, with the fourth-best wRC+ in the seventh inning or later, and the best in the NL. That'll help a reliever pile up the wins alright.