Opening Day is built for control, rhythm, and the quiet authority of a staff ace setting the tone for a season. Instead, Paul Skenes walked into 2026 and found none of it.
Paul Skenes Start Collapsed Almost Immediately
Thirty-seven pitches. Two outs. Five runs. A hit batter. And then the slow, unavoidable walk back to the dugout.
It unraveled quickly, but not without warning signs. Even before the Mets did real damage, Skenes looked unsettled. His command wavered early, his pace inconsistent, his body language tighter than expected for a pitcher coming off a Cy Young season. When contact came, it found help; unfortunately for Pittsburgh, it came from their own defense.
Center fielder Oneil Cruz misplayed two balls in the same inning, first misjudging a route and then losing another in the sun. What should have been manageable outs turned into extended opportunities, and the Mets capitalized without hesitation. The inning stretched, the pitch count climbed, and Skenes never regained control of it.
Pitch Count Forces an Early Decision
Manager Don Kelly didn’t wait for further damage. With the pitch count nearing 40 and no sign of stabilization, he made the call. It was abrupt but calculated. There was no injury, no visible physical issue, just a start that had already slipped too far.
Minutes earlier, the game had offered a completely different script. Brandon Lowe’s two-run homer gave Pittsburgh an early lead and handed Skenes exactly what a top-tier starter expects: a cushion and a chance to dictate the game. That advantage disappeared almost immediately.
The contrast with Skenes’ pregame tone sharpened the scene. Just a day earlier, he spoke plainly about expectations: win the division, reach the playoffs, figure out the rest later. There was no hedging, no caution in his outlook. It was direct and confident.
From Bold Expectations to Immediate Reality
Less than 24 hours later, Paul Skenes was left with a stat line that didn’t resemble his track record and a season opener that ended before it properly began.
From the broadcast booth, Adam Ottavino didn’t overcomplicate it. Things start like this happen, even if rarely, to pitchers of Skenes’ caliber. The only path forward is immediate: move on, reset, take the ball again.
Away from the field, there was at least a familiar note. Livvy Dunne, though not confirmed to be in attendance, marked Opening Day with a brief message online. It stood in contrast to the chaos of the outing itself, simple, routine, unaffected.
For Skenes, there was nothing routine about it. The season has started, but not in any way he would recognize. The next outing now carries more weight than expected, not because of long-term concern, but because Opening Day left a mark that won’t be ignored.
