Paul Skenes threw all but one fastball and four pitches over 100 mph.
What do you know? Paul Skenes dominated. Again.
This time, it was for the entire world to see.
On Tuesday night in Atlanta, Georgia, to begin the 2025 MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park, Skenes shut the American League down.
Starting his second consecutive All-Star Game, the only pitcher in MLB history to start the game in his first two seasons, Skenes sent down the AL 1-2-3.
He struck out Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene of the Detroit Tigers before inducing an Aaron Judge (New York Yankees) groundout to close the frame.
Paul Skenes stays dealing pic.twitter.com/8TpWOjssGK
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 16, 2025
Skenes walked Juan Soto last season in Texas, which brought up Judge, and made it out of the inning on a bounce out.
Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks put the National League on the board in the bottom of the inning with a two-run double to give the NL a 2-0 lead.
The two runs are the most run support Skenes has received all season in the first inning. In 20 starts, the Pirates never scored more than one run in their opening frame. The Pirates had only scored two runs in Skenes’ last three starts.
His two strikeouts were clocked at 100 mph. Skenes threw 14 pitches. 13 were fastballs. Skenes is the first pitcher in All-Star history, in the Statcast era, to deliver four pitches of 100+ mph.
Paul Skenes is the first starting pitcher in the Statcast era to throw 4 pitches at 100+ MPH in an All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com/tlTL41DIcl
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) July 16, 2025
Skenes owns a 2.01 ERA (first in the NL), 0.93 WHIP (second), .189 opponent average (second), and 131 strikeouts (tied for fourth).
His 4-8 record seems impossible, but the Pirates’ offense has made it a difficult reality to process.
Skenes dominated, basically said “good luck” to the AL, throwing all fastballs, and delivered again.
The Pirates start the second half against the Chicago White Sox Friday night at PNC Park.