PITTSBURGH — Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was driving aimlessly through Pittsburgh’s northern suburbs on his rare day off Monday when baseball field lights caught his attention from the roadside.
Before he knew it, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner had pulled into the parking lot and was watching Ingomar Little League teams go through their practice routines.
The 24-year-old athlete attempted to blend in unnoticed, though that’s challenging when you stand 6-foot-6, weigh 260 pounds, and rank among baseball’s most recognizable young talents. Soon, Skenes joined the action wearing sandals, a T-shirt, and shorts — clear evidence this wasn’t a planned visit for the usually polished player.
During the following two hours, he tossed balls with young players, provided autographs, and reconnected with a period when his connection to baseball felt much less complicated.
The spontaneous appearance gained widespread social media attention, as typically happens with Skenes-related content. His girlfriend, former gymnast turned influencer and actress Livvy Dunne, posted about it on TikTok. A well-known Pittsburgh DJ shared similar content on Instagram.
Skenes has come to understand that public attention accompanies his status, even during attempts to stay under the radar.
“Should’ve worn some sunglasses and a fake moustache,” he joked.
Certainly, Skenes recognizes the lasting impression he made on the Ingomar Little League participants, located roughly 20 minutes north of PNC Park. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Garrett Anderson created a similar moment for Skenes during his youth in Southern California.
However, equally significant, with the Pirates experiencing a losing streak that reached four games following Tuesday’s devastating 12-2 defeat to Los Angeles — when the Dodgers scored 10 runs in the seventh inning right after Skenes left the game — the experience reminded Skenes why he chose this profession.
“I went to watch some baseball, but you got to remember it’s just a game,” Skenes said. “There’s a lot of things that make it a business. It’s work. It’s a job for us, for sure, on some days more than others, but you got to remember you love the game and why you started playing it in the first place.”
This perspective becomes especially valuable when that passion feels distant during challenging periods like Skenes currently faces.
Although he held the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers to just two runs across six innings and successfully handled four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani in all three encounters, Skenes has gone without a victory in his past five outings as the bullpen collapsed after his departure.
Is Skenes experiencing a downturn? Only when measured against the exceptionally high standards he established during his quick rise among baseball’s elite pitchers. His earned run average since May 17 stands at an ordinary 4.50, more than twice his career ERA before that date.
Performance showed improvement and increased precision against the Dodgers compared to recent outings. He achieved seven strikeouts, with Los Angeles missing on over 15 of his 103 delivered pitches.
Skenes’ fastball generally hit its intended targets at the right moments, and if Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe had successfully fielded a hard grounder that instead bounced off his glove into the outfield with two outs in the sixth, allowing Freddie Freeman to score and even the contest, Skenes might have left with his team ahead.
The outcome proved irrelevant ultimately. The Dodgers’ 10-run seventh inning outburst sealed the result.
Nevertheless, Skenes works to maintain proper perspective. The season extends over many months. Every team encounters difficult stretches. He continues focusing on his preparation and execution.
When questioned about why his fastball — which now typically registers around 97 mph after regularly exceeding 100 during his rookie campaign two years earlier — appeared more effective Tuesday than recently, he responded with a shrug.
“Just a good day, I think,” he said. “Kinda comes and goes as the season goes. Just a good day with that.”
The gentle tosses he delivered to the Little League players lacked that same speed. They may carry equal significance, though, throughout a season that sometimes feels more like an endurance test than a childhood fantasy realized.
“We’ve all played those sandlot fields when we were nine,” he said, later adding, “The game looks different when it’s 200-foot fences and there are no ads out there, no fans out there, just playing for the love of the game.”
