Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes has seen a decrease in his velocity this season, while his ERA has skyrocketed. Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes has struggled this year, and new data is showing how bad it has been. While Skenes' velocity is down, a Major League Baseball insider thinks something else is off. “Based on his mechanics, it looks a little bit like he may be just in a slump,” Rob Friedman, known as Pitching Ninja, said on Foul Territory. "@PitchingNinja explains why hitters are suddenly having success against Paul Skenes despite his fastball still playing at an elite level.