Perrotto: Do Wins Still Matter to Pitchers? Ask Paul Skenes

PITTSBURGH — Wins still matter.

The analytically inclined crowd can argue about the declining value of a W being next to a pitcher’s name in the box score and I’ll listen. However, I also know that major-league pitchers have egos like all professional athletes. That’s part of why they have reached the pinnacle of their profession.

Every starting pitcher takes more pride in their number than their WAR, FIP or SIERA.

That is why I was heartened with the answer Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander Paul Skenes gave to my question after he beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 on Monday night at PNC Park. And it’s what I expected to hear from a 22-year-old with the soul of a 52-year-old.

Skenes improved his record to 10-2, an impressive figure on a team with a 68-76 record, and hasn’t always provided him with run support or bullpen help. I asked if being a double-digit winner was important.

“It’s cool,” Skenes said. “I think that’s the goal every year. I’m old-fashioned. Wins matter. Wins and losses matter, I think. That’s kind of watered down now, but it definitely means a lot.”

It shows that Skenes is talented and a winning player for a franchise that could use more of them.

Skenes’ record is partially residue from having immense talent. Skenes’ fastball averages 98.9 mph and tops out at 101.5 mph and he has an array of above-average secondary pitches, highlighted by the “splinker,” a hybrid of a split-finger fastball and a sinker.

Yet what also separates Skenes is his winning mentality. The tougher the situation gets, the better he pitches.

Take, for example, what happened on Monday night. The Marlins had six hits in six innings off Skenes despite rarely making hard contact.

Rather than get rattled by his misfortune, Skenes bore down when the Marlins put runners on base. They managed just three hits in 14 at-bats against Skenes in those situations and were 1 for 4 with runners in scoring position.

Skenes has limited hitters to a .184 average with runners on base this season and a .178 mark with runners in scoring position. Already overpowering in any situation, he seems to turn up the intensity a little more when he gets into trouble.

“I think that’s probably something (the media) notice a little more than I do,” Skenes said. “Obviously, the margin for error is smaller when there are runners on, especially if there are runners in scoring position, so it’s not a conscious thing I don’t think. Maybe just tighter focus, can’t get away with as much, that kind of thing.”

Of course, Skenes is tough in all situations as his 2.10 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and .204 opponents batting average suggest. Then there are the 6-foot-6 Skenes’ 151 strikeouts – a franchise rookie record – in 120 innings.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton believes Skenes’ success in sticky situations stems from attention to detail.

“I think one of the things he does really well for a big guy is he controls the running game extremely well, extremely well,” Shelton said. “He’s really quick to the plate. And I think because of that, because he’s so big and the quickness of his arm, I don’t know if (his stuff) ticks up but it appears it does because it looks like it’s getting on you a little bit sooner.”

How many more opportunities Skenes gets to add to his win total remains to be seen. He has pitched 147.1 innings between the major and minor leagues, though the Pirates haven’t put a hard cap on Skenes’ innings.

If the Pirates continue pitching Skenes on five days of rest, he will have three starts left before the season ends on Sept. 29. Skenes says that is a manageable workload.

“I’m conditioned to throw a lot of innings, I think, and obviously they’re going to take it more on the cautious side,” Skenes said. “That’s going to be something that I strive for as long as I’m playing this game, to be able to do more than what I’m actually going to do, probably. LIke I said, just the work in the offseason, in spring training, beginning of the season, all that.

“It’s just time to do it. I’m not tired, really. Not feeling anything abnormal. It’s just a matter of finishing in the sprint to the end here.”

Three more wins would give Skenes a final record of 13-2. Does anyone care to say that would be irrelevant?