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Pirates' Paul Skenes: Records only two outs during opener
Rotowire
Skenes (0-1) took the loss Thursday against the Mets, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning.
It was a nightmare opener for the 23-year-old ace, who struggled heavily with command and was chased before the end of the first inning for the first time in his young career. The rough frame started off with a quick walk to Francisco Lindor and was propelled by a bases-clearing triple from Brett Baty that gave New York a lead it never relinquished. While the result is alarming on the surface, it's likely just a blip given Skenes' track record, as the right-hander recorded a 1.97 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 216 strikeouts, winning the NL Cy Young unanimously in 2025. Skenes will look to return to his normal dominance in his next scheduled outing.
Skenes will start Opening Day against the Mets on March 26.
It wasn't hard to see this decision coming, as Skenes took home the National League Cy Young Award last season after posting a 1.97 ERA and 0.95 WHIP alongside a 216:42 K:BB over 187.2 innings. The 23-year-old ace struggled to collect wins last season -- a problem that could continue into 2026 -- but he should still be viewed as one of the top fantasy pitchers in virtually all formats.
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