Overview

• Paul Skenes unveiled a newly developed cutter during his Spring Training debut, adding to his already elite pitching repertoire.
• The cutter, designed to induce weak contact with late horizontal movement, complements his triple-digit fastball and wipeout slider.
• In his debut, Skenes pitched two scoreless innings against the Phillies, throwing 28 pitches, striking out two, and allowing just one hit.
• Fans and analysts reacted with awe and concern, predicting the cutter will make Skenes even more dominant after an impressive 2024 rookie campaign.
• Despite Skenes' success, concerns persist about the Pirates' ability to build a competitive team around him following their 2024 playoff absence.