Paul Skenes Links Velocity Dip to World Baseball Classic Participation

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes believes his participation in the World Baseball Classic significantly impacted his 2026 season, contributing to a dip in velocity and overall struggles. Despite a down year by his standards, Skenes's performance still includes a 3.91 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 192 strikeouts over 168.0 innings. He noted that the WBC's timing disrupted his usual ramp-up process, affecting his ability to find his peak velocity early in the season.