Paul Skenes has a shot at making some serious history in 2026, and honestly, that shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s watched him dominate over his first two MLB seasons with Pittsburgh.
The Pirates’ ace could break not one, but two records if he keeps up his current pace.
MLB.com’s Sarah Langs put together a breakdown of all-time marks that could fall during the 2026 season, and Skenes features heavily on that list.
First up: if Skenes leads the National League in ERA again, he’d become the youngest pitcher to lead his league in ERA in back-to-back seasons since it became an official stat in 1913. That record currently belongs to Clayton Kershaw.
But that’s not all.
Skenes is also projected to lead the NL in strikeouts with 237, which would put him in some elite company.
“He would be the fifth youngest to lead his league in both ERA and strikeouts by age at the end of the season, older than only 1985 Gooden (20 years, 324 days), 1940 Bob Feller (21 years, 331 days), 1965 Sam McDowell (23 years, 12 days) and 2011 Kershaw (23 years, 193 days).”
Now that’s some company you want to be in.
The Real Challenge for Pittsburgh
Here’s the thing though – the Pirates’ season doesn’t really hinge on Skenes. They’re already counting on him to be elite, and he’s delivered on that expectation consistently.
What Pittsburgh really needs is for the rest of the roster to match Skenes’ level. If he can get some legitimate help from his teammates, this could be a team that catches people off guard.
The way I see it, Skenes is doing his part. It’s time for the rest of the organization to step up and give him the support a pitcher of his caliber deserves.
