Historic All-Star nod for Brewers rookie is slap in the face to Pirates’ Paul Skenes

Pittsburgh Pirates’ right-hander Paul Skenes broke records last year. Skenes was the first rookie to have an ERA+ over 200 with at least 125 innings pitched since Ed Reulbach in 1905. Skenes had a 216 mark throughout 133 frames. He was also just the sixth rookie ever with a K/9 over 11, and the seventh since integration with a WHIP below 1.00 (again, in at least 125 innings pitched).

However, one of Skenes’ best accomplishments was getting selected to the All-Star Game after just 11 starts, the fewest ever by a rookie. At the time of the break, the right-hander had a 2.12 ERA and 2.78 FIP. He handed out just a dozen walks alongside 78 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings. Skenes was so good that he got the nod to start the game for the National League, joining Hideo Nomo, Fernando Valenzuela, Mark Fidrych, and Dave Stenhouse as the only rookies to start an MLB All-Star Game.

Skenes’ record for this stood just one year, as division-rival flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski is getting an All-Star selection after just five starts. There’s no doubt that Misiorowski is doing well. He has a 2.81 ERA with 33 Ks and 11 walks in 25 2/3 innings of work. However, it’s a slap in the face to Skenes’ record. He had more than double the number of games started and innings pitched. 

On top of that, Skenes was on another plane of existence at the time of his All-Star selection. Despite pitching over twice the amount of innings as Misorowski has now, Skenes had just one more walk. Skenes’ FIP was nearly a whole point lower (2.78) compared to Misoroski's 3.85. Skenes gave up more than two runs in just two of his outings, never allowing more than three. Misiorowski has already gotten knocked around once, allowing five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings against the New York Mets in just his fourth start in the Major Leagues.

And it's not only disrespectful to Skenes. There are so many other NL starting pitchers who aren’t getting a nod (at least as of right now). Philadelphia Phillies’ left-hander Christopher Sanchez has a 165 ERA+ and a sub-3.00 FIP in 106 1/3 innings pitched. While New York Mets’ Kodai Senga has missed some time this year due to injury, he still has a 1.39 ERA in 77 2/3 IP. Sanchez’s rotation-mate, Ranger Suarez, also missed about a month, but his 1.99 ERA and 2.98 FIP in 77 innings are still highly deserving of consideration, at the very least.

Sure, Misiorowski’s upper-90s sliders are a thing of beauty to watch on Pitching Ninja. But selecting him after just five outings and fewer than 30 innings pitched is ridiculous. Skenes had nearly 60 innings pitched when he got the nod, and there are plenty of other players who are doing just as well, if not better than Misiorowski, but in a dozen or more outings this year.