It’s safe to say that no pitcher currently rivals Paul Skenes in his campaign for the National League Cy Young Award, especially considering his exceptional performance with a Pittsburgh Pirates team that remains at the bottom of their division.
Now, he has added a new personal milestone to his career in his latest start, despite his team suffering another loss.
Another record for Paul Skenes
The 23-year-old pitcher recorded five strikeoutsin the first three innings against the Baltimore Orioles, reaching 200 strikeouts for the season. His latest strikeout came against the opposing team’s first baseman, Coby Payo, with an 84 MPH sweeper.
With this achievement, Skenes became the sixth pitcher in Pirates history to reach 200 strikeouts in a single season during the live-ball era (since 1920). The most recent to do so was his teammate Mitch Keller, who recorded 210 strikeouts in 2023.
Left-hander Bob Veale was a historic figure for the Pirates, achieving the 200-strikeout mark in four different seasons during the 1960s: 213 in 1969, 229 in 1966, 250 in 1964, and an impressive personal record of 276 in 1965.
Later, Mexican pitcher Oliver Pérez recorded 239 in 2004; right-hander A.J. Burnett posted 209 in 2013; and in 2015, both left-hander Francisco Liriano (205) and right-hander Gerrit Cole (203) joined the list.
With his 200 strikeouts in 2025, Skenes ranks fourth in all of MLB, trailing only Logan Webb (San Francisco Giants, 201), Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers, 222), and Garrett Crochet (Boston Red Sox, leader with 228).
On July 5 at T-Mobile Park, Skenes delivered his best individual performance of the season, recording 10 strikeouts in just five innings against the Seattle Mariners. He has also recorded nine strikeouts in four games, eight in six games, seven in five, six in eight, and five in one. Only in four starts has he been limited to his season-low of four strikeouts.
In his debut season (2024), he already amassed 170 strikeouts, bringing his career total to 370, which ranks him 70th in Pirates history.
With an ERA below 2.00, the best in all of Major League Baseball, Skenes not only dominates from the mound but also positions himself as a strong contender for the National League Cy Young Award.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are the worst-positioned team in the NL Central with a 64-82 record, meaning they won’t be making the postseason. It’s not exactly an urgent situation for a player like Paul Skenes, who has recently been mentioned in trade rumors.
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