Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes endured a brutal end to August, conceding five runs in a loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night, his second consecutive start allowing five runs. It capped what has been the worst month of his young professional career, with his ERA now sitting at 3.90, two full runs higher than his marks in 2024 and 2025, prompting concern among fans and pundits about the sudden decline of one of baseball's most promising young pitchers.

Alongside the run totals, fans have fixated on a sharp drop in Skenes' fastball velocity: he has not exceeded 98 mph in his last four starts and has only topped that mark 95 times all season, compared with nearly 900 times last year and around 700 the year before. Skenes has said the reduced velocity is intentional and not a cause for concern, though he has already conceded 54 earned runs through 23 starts this season, more than his total of 41 for the whole of last year. Pirates broadcaster Dan Zangrilli offered a scathing assessment after the latest defeat, questioning whether the 24-year-old can deliver as the team's ace.