Pirates analysts hype up Paul Skenes' maturity with usage of key pitch

As if Major League hitters didn't already have enough to worry about with Paul Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates' rookie flamethrower appears to have found yet another way to give them fits.

Known primarily for his triple-digit fastball and his hybrid "splinker," Skenes has recently started working another devastating pitch into his already formidable arsenal. In his last start Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds, Skenes threw a changeup eight times that generated seven whiffs, including six for strikeouts.

“I’m just throwing it more,” Skenes said (via Kevin Gorman of TribLive). “It’s the same pitch I’ve been throwing since college. It’s just we just figured out how to use it better.”

Even Reds manager David Bell took particular notice of Skenes' changeup, calling it a "difference maker" (via Jeff Wallner of The Associated Press) and a sign of growth even from the last time he faced Cincinnati in August.

Thanks in large part to his nasty changeup, Skenes went on to strike out nine without giving up a walk in five scoreless innings en route to a 2-0 Pirates victory. (Incidentally, Bell was fired by the Reds later that evening.)

Pirates analysts hype up Paul Skenes' maturity with usage of key pitch

Skenes also impressed Michael McKenry and Steven Brault, former Pirates players and current SportsNet Pittsburgh studio analysts, by throwing his changeup eight times against the Reds. Brault, who pitched for six seasons with the Pirates, took special notice of Skenes' ability to identify when he should and shouldn't execute the pitch.

"The efficiency with which to use it to get the swings and misses and get six strikeouts on it out of seven whiffs means he knows the best times to use it," Brault said (via Gorman). "He’s executing it in situations that work with the sequencing he is going with against hitters. There’s a level of maturity here that you don’t see.”

Brault went on to say that what Skenes is doing is something that he never could have done, before McKenry interjected: "NOBODY is doing this!"

McKenry then pointed out that the Reds failed to put four – yes, four – of Skenes' six pitch offerings into play, including his changeup, curveball, slider and sweeper. He predominantly threw his four-seamer and splinker, and even then he only gave up two hits over five scoreless innings.

It's safe to say that Skenes has silenced any doubts that hitters would be able to adjust after watching enough film on him from his rookie season. The young star continues to outdo himself, and goodness knows how many more tricks he has up his sleeve.

As Skenes himself likes to say, "Good luck."

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