From the second Mark DeRosa and Team USA confirmed that Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes would suit up for the American squad, the rest of the World Baseball Classic should have been on high alert. In fact, other teams are likely still fearing the threat of facing him. Unfortunately for the Dominican Republic, its road to the WBC championship game goes through Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young winner. Dominican manager Albert Pujols faced no shortage of Hall of Famers during his legendary career, of course.
Admittedly, it’s still early to imagine Skenes sharing a podium in Cooperstown with those five. For now, though, it would be hard to blame any of his opponents if they are already prepared to tell their grandchildren that they once battled Skenes — and that the 2023 No. 1 pick handled them with ease. The good news for many of the Dominican Republic’s top players, including outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., is that they have prior experience against Skenes. The bad news? Based on previous at-bats, Skenes has every reason to be confident on Sunday night.
Paul Skenes remains arguably the best pitcher in the world
We have officially reached the point where the debate over Major League Baseball’s best pitcher comes down to two aces: Skenes or Detroit Tigers star Tarik Skubal. Skenes owns a 1.96 ERA and a 386-74 K-BB ratio since debuting in May 2024, and he won the NL Cy Young Award last season despite a 10-10 record.
It is hard to pass on voting for someone who finishes the year with a 1.97 ERA, 7.7 bWAR, and a 216-42 K-BB ratio in less than 190 innings.
Then there’s Skubal, who has evolved into the Tigers’ most dominant pitcher since Justin Verlander’s prime. Skubal has a 2.30 ERA and an incredible 469-68 K-BB rate in 387 1/3 innings since the start of 2024.
What makes both pitchers special isn’t just their stats, but the fact that they are simply fun to watch. Sometimes the best pitchers aren’t the most exciting, or they don’t grab attention even with social media on their side. If you are lucky enough to see either Skenes or Skubal in person, there’s a chance you’ll witness something historic.
How Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis, and other Dominican stars have fared against Paul Skenes
Let’s start with Soto, who is fresh off a 43-home run, 38-stolen base season for the Mets. Soto enters Sunday’s showdown hitless in three at-bats against Skenes, though he has drawn a walk. Even in the WBC, Soto feels due for a hit or two against the right-hander.
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Ketel Marte might not be a household name among casual fans, but he regularly ranks among the league’s most productive middle infielders. However, Skenes has frequently gotten the best of Marte, holding him hitless in five plate appearances.
Guerrero hasn’t seen much of Skenes, going 0-for-2 with a walk against the reigning Cy Young winner. Interestingly, Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez is 3-for-6 with two doubles and two strikeouts when facing Skenes.
Paul Skenes’ history vs. the Dominican Republic’s projected lineup
While the Dominican Republic has not yet announced its lineup for Sunday, we can nonetheless look at the hitters Skenes is expected to face. This is the lineup that the DR used in Friday’s rout over Korea:
Dominican Republic Lineup | Stats vs. USA's Paul Skenes |
|---|---|
1. RF Fernando Tatis Jr. | No Plate Appearances |
2. 2B Ketel Marte | 0-for-5, Walk |
3. LF Juan Soto | 0-for-3, Walk |
4. 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | 0-for-2, Walk |
5. 3B Manny Machado | No Plate Appearances |
6. DH Junior Caminero | 0-for-3 |
7. CF Julio Rodriguez | 3-for-6, 2 Doubles |
8. C Augustin Ramirez | No Plate Appearances |
9. SS Geraldo Perdomo | 0-for-7, Hit-by-Pitch |
We would wish the Dominican Republic luck, but they might need a lot more than that to take down Skenes.