Paul Skenes, a name that’s quickly become synonymous with elite pitching in Major League Baseball, faced a challenging start to the new season. With two All-Star selections and a Cy Young Award already under his belt after just two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, expectations are sky-high for this young ace. Armed with a powerful arsenal of seven pitches, Skenes was set to kick off Opening Day at Citi Field against the New York Mets.
The matchup promised a classic pitchers’ duel, especially with Freddy Peralta taking the mound for his debut with the Mets. However, the game took a different turn.
Peralta struggled early, surrendering a two-run homer to newcomer Brandon Lowe in the first inning. It seemed like those runs might be enough for Skenes to secure a win, but baseball had other plans.
Skenes faced a rough outing, giving up five runs in the bottom of the first before being pulled with two outs. His stat line-4 hits, 5 earned runs, and 2 walks-tells part of the story, but it was a tough day at the office for reasons beyond his control. His curveball lacked its usual bite, and defensive mishaps compounded his struggles.
"You've gotta look at it for what it is, there wasn't a ton of hard contact...the batting average on balls in play thing was super high today, that'll go down as the season goes on"
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 26, 2026
- Paul Skenes on his start today against the Mets pic.twitter.com/pw1rjy9f6q
Centerfielder Oneil Cruz had a particularly rough time, misjudging a flyball from Brett Baty that turned into a bases-loaded triple. Moments later, Cruz lost sight of a pop fly from Marcus Semien, allowing another run to score. These defensive lapses accounted for four of the five runs charged to Skenes, though no errors were officially recorded.
Reflecting on the game, Skenes remained philosophical. “You've gotta look at it for what it is, there wasn't a ton of hard contact,” he noted. “The batting average on balls in play thing was super high today, that'll go down as the season goes on.”
Despite the rocky start, Skenes’ talent and track record suggest this is just a blip on the radar. As the season progresses, expect him to bounce back and continue to dominate on the mound.