Paul Skenes Flirts With No-Hitter, K’s 10—Pirates Ace Eyes 2026 Cy Young

SKENES’ DOMINATION REACHES NEW HEIGHTS Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is turning every start into appointment viewing, carving up lineups with an ERA that has hovered below 2.00 for most of May. In his latest masterpiece, the 23-year-old right-hander struck out 10 Colorado Rockies over eight shutout innings, carrying a no-hit bid into the seventh before settling for a 3-1 win. The outing followed an equally dominant eight-inning gem against Arizona, reinforcing that Skenes’ ceiling is still climbing. NEARLY UNTOUCHABLE STRETCH Since a rocky Opening Day, Skenes has surrendered just six runs across his last 49.1 innings, yielding a microscopic 1.10 ERA with a 56:7 K:BB ratio over that span. He has already flirted with perfection twice this season, retiring the first 20 Milwaukee Brewers on April 24 and the first 14 Rockies on May 12. Pittsburgh hasn’t seen a no-hitter in nearly three decades, but the flamethrower’s growing arsenal makes it feel imminent. VELOCITY AND ARSENAL EVOLUTION The former LSU star burst onto the scene with a triple-digit four-seamer, yet 2026 has been about refinement. Against Colorado he averaged 96.4 mph—down a tick—but generated 11 whiffs on 24 swings by dotting the top of the zone with elite command. Once hitters adjusted, Skenes pivoted: his sweeper, sinker, changeup and trademark “splinker” combined for four more strikeouts, illustrating a maturing pitch mix that keeps offenses guessing deep into games. CY YOUNG FAVORITE ON SPORTSBOOK BOARDS Oddsmakers now list Skenes as the heavy favorite to capture the 2026 National League Cy Young Award, edging out two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani in the latest update. If he maintains his current pace, Skenes could become Pittsburgh’s first Cy Young winner since Doug Drabek in 1990 and the youngest NL recipient since Clayton Kershaw. HISTORIC COMPANY Skenes’ WHIP sits near 0.65, a mark not seen over a full season since the Dead-Ball Era. According to Sporting News research, he is also on track to log the lowest opponents’ batting average (.139) by any qualified Pirate in more than 100 years. Each dominant frame pushes the Pirates closer to contention and rewrites a franchise record book that hasn’t changed much since Honus Wagner’s day. WHAT’S NEXT Manager Don Kelly continues to monitor pitch counts—Skenes has topped 100 pitches only once—but the right-hander remains lined up for a marquee Sunday showdown at PNC Park versus the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies. Another stellar outing could cement his Cy Young frontrunner status and keep the buzz building around baseball’s newest must-see ace. For now, opposing hitters can only hope the 6'6″ phenom’s trend of “getting better” finally plateaus—because the numbers say it hasn’t yet.