Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes saw his streak of limiting hits snapped on Thursday night after allowing seven hits to the Cincinnati Reds, ending a remarkable run that has captivated the baseball world. This Paul Skenes pitching historic streak has him poised to join an elite group of baseball legends who have achieved extraordinary consistency and dominance on the mound.
Breaking MLB Records With Unmatched Hit Limitation
Skenes’ streak of 46 consecutive starts without allowing seven or more hits was unprecedented in Major League Baseball history, more than doubling the previous record of 22 starts set by Alek Manoah. This achievement illustrates his exceptional control and dominance over opposing hitters, elevating his status in the league.
Alongside this milestone, Skenes boasts the lowest ERA through 47 starts in the live-ball era, maintaining an astonishing 1.95 ERA. This places him among the ranks of pitching greats like Dwight Gooden (2.26 ERA), José Fernández (2.40 ERA), and Jacob deGrom (2.49 ERA). His remarkable consistency signals the potential for a historic career, drawing attention from analysts such as Jayson Stark of The Athletic, who sees Skenes approaching a level of performance rarely achieved in modern baseball.
Chasing a Place Among Baseball’s Most Exclusive Pitching Legends
In his rookie season in 2024, Skenes recorded a 1.96 ERA over 23 starts after being selected as the first overall pick in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft, earning him the National League Rookie of the Year award. This season, his ERA currently stands at 1.94 across 24 starts. Should he maintain an ERA under 2.00 through the end of 2025, Skenes would join a highly exclusive group of pitchers with consecutive sub-2.00 ERA seasons spanning at least 23 starts each, a group that includes Hal Newhouser (1945-46), Sandy Koufax (1963-64), Greg Maddux (1994-95), and Clayton Kershaw (2013-14).
This elite quartet represents some of the most iconic names in pitching history: Newhouser’s back-to-back MVP awards, Koufax’s dominance in the 1960s, Maddux’s four consecutive Cy Young wins, and Kershaw’s redefining of modern pitching excellence. Looking deeper into baseball’s history, two dead-ball era pitchers—Walter Johnson and Grover Cleveland Alexander—achieved even longer streaks of consecutive seasons with ERAs below 2.00, underscoring the rarity and difficulty of this accomplishment.
The Remarkable Youth Behind Skenes’ Potential Milestone
Skenes’ potential milestone carries even more weight considering his young age. If he completes the 2025 season with a sub-2.00 ERA, he would be the first pitcher aged 23 or younger in the live-ball era to post consecutive seasons below this mark. Historically, only Walter Johnson managed a similar feat at such a young age during the dead-ball era, in 1910-11, when baseball was vastly different.
Rarity of Sub-2.00 ERAs Across First Two Major League Seasons
Extending the significance, pitchers posting sub-2.00 ERAs in their first two MLB seasons is also exceptionally rare. To date, only Dutch Leonard has achieved this, with a 1.73 ERA over 1913 and 1914 during the dead-ball era, a period marked by minimal home runs and very different offensive conditions than today’s game. Should Skenes accomplish this feat in the current live-ball era, he would join Leonard in this unique category while doing so under far more challenging circumstances.
Upcoming Opportunities for Skenes to Cement His Legacy
After his start on August 7 against Cincinnati, Paul Skenes is scheduled for two important games where he can continue to build on his historic run. According to ESPN, these starts include a matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday, August 12 at 7:40 PM ET, followed by a contest versus the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, August 18 at 6:40 PM ET.
Each upcoming appearance offers Skenes more than just regular playing time; they are critical opportunities to solidify a legacy that could place him alongside some of baseball’s greatest pitchers. As the Pittsburgh Pirates’ ace delivers an exceptional sophomore season, his performances have the potential to rewrite pitching records and establish him as one of the sport’s all-time elite before his 24th birthday.
“Paul Skenes pitching historic streak has led him to break records thought nearly impossible to surpass.” —Jayson Stark, Baseball Analyst
“To keep an ERA below 2.00 for multiple seasons, especially at such a young age, is a testament to his skill and determination.” —Dwight Gooden, Former MLB Pitcher