Paul Skenes’ Velocity Is Down. His Team USA Manager Isn’t Worried Yet.

Paul Skenes isn’t throwing 99 mph anymore. That much is clear. But anyone expecting panic from the guy who managed him on baseball’s biggest international stage might want to think again.

Mark DeRosa, who helmed Team USA during the 2026 World Baseball Classic and watched Skenes dominate up close, joined The Pat McAfee Show this week and came ready to defend the Pirates’ ace. Skenes’ fastball has ticked down from the 98-99 range he lived in during 2024 and 2025 to more like 96-97 this season. The raw numbers are there. The radar gun doesn’t lie.

But DeRosa isn’t buying the idea that something’s broken.

“I’m going to give him massive love,” DeRosa said. “I’ve never seen a pitcher work harder than him. He touches the mound everyday, I’ve never seen that before. I know he’s prepared.”

When the conversation turned to the obvious question — is Skenes hurt? — DeRosa pushed back. He said he thinks it’s more of a mechanical issue than an injury. A small something a pitching coach can clean up. Not the kind of thing that lands a guy on the IL for two months.

That’s the version Pirates fans are praying is true. A mechanical glitch is annoying but fixable. An arm problem at 23 years old? That’s a franchise-altering nightmare.

Still an All-Star. Still dealing.

Here’s the thing about Skenes having a “down” year: it’s still pretty good. Through 20 starts — which leads the National League, by the way — he’s posted a 3.57 ERA with 130 strikeouts. That’s not Cy Young numbers by his own impossible standards. But plenty of pitchers would kill for that line.

Skenes made the NL All-Star team. He won’t pitch in the game because he started Sunday, but the selection alone says a lot. The league still views him as one of its elite arms. The velocity dip hasn’t changed that.

DeRosa pointed to Skenes’ work ethic as the reason he’s not worried. “I’ve never seen a pitcher work harder than him,” he repeated. That’s the kind of confidence that comes from watching a guy grind every single day.

Whether the mechanical fix comes in the next start or takes a few weeks, the Pirates are betting on Skenes figuring it out. They’ve got to. He’s the centerpiece of everything they’re trying to build.

For now, the velocity is down. The results are still solid. And his former manager isn’t sweating it.