Paul Skenes: with an average offense, he would have a record of 41-3

Paul Skenes, as we know, is a special talent. The Pirates pitcher, who has 55 career starts, has a 1.96 ERA.

That's pretty spectacular, we agree.

That said, despite his exceptional numbers, Skenes' record is just 21-13. Playing for an extremely ordinary team in Pittsburgh means he doesn't have a ton of offensive support… and that costs him wins.

And on that very subject, The Athletic carried out an interesting exercise: we looked at what Skenes' career record would have been if he'd had average offensive support.

Not elite offensive support, just average offensive support.

And when you look at it, you see that Skenes' record would be… 41-3. Nothing less.

The Athletic ran the numbers on Paul Skenes' first 55 MLB starts and the result is ridiculous: with league-average run support, his record would be 41-3. That's why “just getting to average” is a massive boost when you've got an ace like this.

And it's why adding Brandon Lowe,… pic.twitter.com/0qdxlrqUwU

– 𝐍𝐒𝟗 (@NorthShoreNine) December 30, 2025

And in actual fact, this point explains why the Pirates are trying to add offense as much as possible. The club has snapped up Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn, among others, and the goal is clear: to have an offense that isn't terrible.

Because when you look at the exercise carried out with Skenes, it's clear that the Pirates don't need to have an all-out attack: if the club is simply “decent,” it will win games.

Obviously, the club can't send Skenes to the mound every game, so they won't win at such a rate even with an average attack. But in a National Powerhouse where there's no real power, it's a good bet to take.

And above all, it's sure to help keep Skenes happy in Pittsburgh. That's the most important thing for the Pirates.

This content was created with the help of AI.