Pirates' Paul Skenes Still Considered Top-Tier Ace Despite Opening Day Disaster

ESPN analyst Kiley McDaniel says Skenes' rough debut doesn't change his elite status among MLB pitchers.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 4:35pm

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Despite a disastrous Opening Day outing where he allowed 5 earned runs in just 0.2 innings, ESPN's Kiley McDaniel still considers Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes to be a top-tier ace in Major League Baseball. McDaniel notes that Skenes' pitch velocity was largely unchanged, indicating this was likely just a bad command day rather than a sign of larger issues.

Why it matters

Skenes won the NL Cy Young Award in 2025 with a 1.96 ERA, so there were high expectations for him coming into the 2026 season. His poor debut raised some concerns, but this analysis from a respected MLB insider suggests Skenes' elite status remains intact.

The details

In his Opening Day start against the New York Mets, Skenes was shelled, allowing 5 earned runs while recording just 2 outs. However, McDaniel points out that Skenes' pitch velocity was largely the same, indicating this was likely just an off day with his command rather than a sign of larger issues. McDaniel still considers Skenes to be one of the top aces in baseball, placing him in the same tier as fellow 2025 Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers.

  • On March 30, 2026, Skenes made his Opening Day start against the Mets.

The players

Paul Skenes

A starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates who won the NL Cy Young Award in 2025 with a 1.96 ERA.

Kiley McDaniel

An ESPN analyst who covers Major League Baseball.

Tarik Skubal

A starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers who won the AL Cy Young Award in 2025.

Oneil Cruz

A center fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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What they’re saying

“Skenes was shelled in his first start, and there were some slight differences in his pitch shapes, but his velo was basically the same. So he still seems like the same pitcher, who just had a bad command day at a time when everyone was paying a little more attention than usual.”

— Kiley McDaniel, ESPN Analyst

What’s next

The Pirates and their fans will be watching closely to see how Skenes bounces back from his Opening Day struggles in his next start.

The takeaway

Despite a disastrous debut, Skenes' elite status as one of the top pitchers in baseball remains intact according to respected MLB analysts. His velocity and stuff were still there, suggesting this was likely just an off day with his command rather than a sign of larger issues.