Paul Skenes is a Starting Pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After a stellar college career, which started off as a two way player at the Air Force Academy and culminating as a Player of the Year winner at LSU, Skenes has achieved meteoric success at the Minor League level, and now as a Pittsburgh Pirate. Every game he pitches, his team has a well above average chance of winning. Skenes doesn’t just dominate MLB hitters, he absolutely baffles them. Like an MLB great who I believe is one of the best Pitchers of all time, and certainly an all-time baffler himself, Greg Maddux. Sure, Skenes strikeouts and fastball and mound presence may remind some of the great Nolan Ryan. But I believe Skenes is more Maddux than Ryan and here is why.

First, if you have a moment, watch this (hilarious for me) YouTube video of Greg Maddux highlights. Pay attention to MLB hitters who cannot, I repeat cannot believe the movement on Maddux’s pitches. MLB hitters who slam their bats down in disgust. MLB hitters striking out on 5, 6, 7 different pitches, pitch locations, and have no idea what the heck is going on. Maddux baffled hitters to the brink of insanity at the plate. What will he throw me now after that pitch? The answer, only Maddux knew. Enjoy.

Watching Paul Skenes for the better part of 3 years now, from his SEC days as a dominant LSU Pitcher, through the Minors, and now with the Pittsburgh Pirates, I have observed a talent that has become must watch TV every time he pitches. His run in the College World Series with LSU was ridiculous, striking fear in every college batter he faced, and striking most of them out. His brief minor league career was nothing but overpowering, against professional baseball players no less. And now with the Pirates, every fifth day or so, Skenes uses a myriad of pitches to confuse and baffle and strikeout Major League Baseball players. And for me, it is not the blazing fastball, like his obvious comparison Nolan Ryan. It’s every other pitch and one important trait.

Nolan Ryan was a fastball pitcher. He was the quintessential power pitcher. He was the guy on the mound that dared you to hit his fastball. Sure he had good off speed stuff, but most hitters went up to the plate knowing Ryan had a 95+ mph heater and he was going to throw it often. Greg Maddux threw hard, but rarely needed to. Maddux used movement – up/down, side to side, off speed, breaking down, breaking in – to pitch around the barrel of the bat. And the best part of Maddux’s arsenal – his command, he rarely walked batters. Watching Paul Skenes these last few years, I would characterize him as a power pitcher who throws hard, has movement on his fastball, has vertical movement, has deceleration pitches, and most importantly has command of his pitches. He is, quite possibly, an incredible blend of Ryan and Maddux, and he is just might be the best Pitcher in baseball after just 42 games pitched as a Major Leaguer.

Ryan and Maddux were also bulldogs on the mound. They took the ball every 5th day or so and didn’t return it to the manager until the game was over. They wanted the ball, they wanted to dominate hitters, they wanted to embarrass you at the plate, they were tough, they were fierce, they were unrelenting. Skenes pitches in a different era, where complete games are all but extinct stat wise. 100 pitches seems to be the limit for most, including top line starters like Skenes. Skenes wants the ball, wants to go the distance, wants to be there for his teammates, you can see it in his mound presence. Someone on the Pirates TV crew had a great comment about Skenes. He said the more he pitches to contact, and the less he strikes batters out, the longer he can last in a game. I agree. Strikeout pitches often get fouled off with 2 strikes on a Major League batter. They just got a piece of the pitch, fouling it off to fight for another pitch in their at-bat. But, a well placed “pitch to contact” pitch will help lower the pitch count. This will be Skenes next evolution – the complete game. I believe he is heading there and will complete games at a record pace.

Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddux were must see TV for me. Ryan, I saw less of growing up in the 70s and 80s where a national game was once a week, and you were lucky if Ryan was in that national game. I saw Maddux a lot in his hey days on TNT and TBS when he pitched for the Atlanta Braves. I wasn’t a Braves fan, I was a Maddux fan. And now with the Pittsburgh Pirates via MLB.TV, I am laser focused every 5th day or so in the rotation to watch the great Paul Skenes, who is this generation’s must watch Pitcher. Skenes dominates, baffles, and overpowers professional Major League Baseball hitters every single time he steps on the mound for the Pirates. Batters walk away shaking their heads, slamming their bats down on the ground, and wondering what the heck did Skenes just throw and what else is he capable of throwing. 42 games isn’t a huge sample, I know. But wow, is Paul Skenes off to a tremendous Major League Baseball start!

FYI, Skenes is pitching this Friday, July 11th vs. the Minnesota Twins. Game time is 8:10 EST and guess who will be watching every pitch.