Not solely was Skenes chosen to the sport on Sunday, he additionally began the Pirates recreation in Seattle and was masterful, throwing 5 extra shutout innings and hanging out a season-high 10 batters earlier than inexplicably being lifted after simply 78 pitches.
For all of that dominant work, he earned one more no-decision and continues a completely surprising run of begins the place he has not been in a position to get a win.
Not solely did Skenes go away with no run help — once more — the Pirates’ bullpen surrendered a solo house run simply three batters after he left the sport. It was the one offense Seattle would want in a 1-0 sequence sweep that noticed the Pirates rating zero runs within the three video games.
Skenes has not truly had a win for himself since Could 28, and solely has one since Could 1. He has been shut out within the win column since then regardless of having a 1.74 ERA in his 13 begins over that stretch. These numbers defy logic.
For the season, his particular person file is simply a dismal 4-7 regardless of permitting one earned run or much less in 13 of his 19 begins.
He has allowed greater than two earned runs simply 3 times.
That file would be the one factor that may maintain him again in Cy Younger voting, and it is perhaps the one factor that stops him from getting a second straight All-Star begin when any person like, say, Philadelphia Phillies starter Zack Wheeler owns a 9-3 file and was masterful himself on Sunday with an entire recreation, 12-strikeout win towards the Cincinnati Reds.
However that is simply one other instance of how a win-loss file is a horrible metric for evaluating beginning pitchers. It is a workforce stat and in no way a mirrored image of how the person pitcher is performing.
Whereas Skenes’ win-loss file is beneath .500, and whereas the Pirates left Sunday’s recreation with a dropping file in Skenes’ begins general (9-10), every bit of goal proof factors to him being the most effective beginning pitcher within the Nationwide League and arguably the most effective in MLB.
After Sunday’s begin, his ERA for the season is right down to 1.94. No person within the Nationwide League is best, and solely Houston’s Hunter Brown (1.82 coming into Sunday) was decrease.
His 0.92 WHIP can be second within the Nationwide League (behind solely Wheeler’s 0.84) and sixth within the league.
He additionally entered Sunday main the Nationwide League in WAR (Wins Above Alternative) amongst beginning pitchers at 4.5, whereas additionally being among the many league’s leaders in innings pitched.
He is the most effective beginning pitcher within the Nationwide League. He is within the high two or three in MLB, and even perhaps on the high. He’s an All-Star for the second time in as a few years to begin his profession. He must be beginning the sport once more. Even when he by no means truly will get any wins.
