Paul Skenes explains why his Opening Day start against Mets turned ugly

Paul Skenes gave a rather analytical breakdown of his abysmal Opening Day start against the Mets on Thursday.

When asked by reporters about his outing in the Pirates’ 11-7 loss to the Amazin’s, Skenes said that despite not giving up much hard contact, his batting average on balls in play was high, causing his start to go awry quickly, as he only recorded two outs before being yanked.

“You got to look at it through, for what it is,” Skenes said. “There wasn’t a ton of hard contact. Leadoff walk is not great. But yeah … the Polanco ground ball, stuff like that. The batting average on balls in play thing was super high today. That’ll go down as the season goes on.”

Skenes left Thursday’s game after just two-thirds innings in which he gave up five earned runs — matching his career high — off four hits, along with a walk and two strikeouts.

“I’m not as upset about this for me, personally, as people would probably think,” Skenes said, according to The Associated Press. “Because they did a really good job. It was an abnormal outing.”

Skenes’ batting average on balls in play (BABIP) sits at .800 following his short-lived start.

Pirates skipper Don Kelly pulled Skenes after just 37 pitches, saying that he did not want the righty to push it this early into the season.

Paul Skenes walks off the field after being taken out of the game during the first inning of the Pirates’ 11-7 Opening Day against the Mets at Citi Field on March 26, 2026. Getty Images

“He wants to stay out there and pitch,” Kelly said. “It’s a really tough thing going to get him in the first inning right there. The bottom of it is Paul’s health. You’re getting close to 40 pitches, yeah 37 pitches and Lindor had a seven-pitch at-bat that first at-bat.

“If he runs another 7-10, you’re into dangerous territory with the starting pitcher in one inning, so we had to make the move.”

Paul Skenes looks down on the mound during the first inning the Pirates’ Opening Day loss to the Pirates. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

Not all of the Pirates’ first-inning meltdown was strictly on Skenes, though, with center fielder Oneil Cruz misplaying two fly balls that extended the early rally for the Mets.

“That ball straight at him, he came in, got a bad read,” Kelly said. “He’s been working hard out there. He just needs to continue to get better. Then the one in the sun. He just lost it in the sun.”