As the calendar creeps toward the Ides of March, a time when the excitement of spring training can begin to feel like the monotony of routine, one pitcher is redefining what it means to prepare for the game. Paul Skenes doesn’t just go through the motions in the bullpen; he approaches his warm-up with the precision and focus of a neurosurgeon gearing up for surgery.
Standing in the golden glow of a Sarasota sunset, Skenes readies himself a few steps from the bullpen rubber. With a quick, purposeful stride, he steps onto the rubber with seamless confidence, launching his first pitch without the usual casual warm-up chatter that fills most pregame routines. This focused approach has a name—the Angled Walk-In. It’s a technique designed to engage his upper body and get his hand into position for the pitch. This is just one part of a complex choreography that reflects Skenes’s deep understanding of the craft. Unlike other pitchers who might mindlessly throw, wasting valuable practice, Skenes is all about efficiency.
When the national anthem plays, Skenes halts his routine to honor the moment. He stands tall, his posture immaculate as he faces the flag, holding his cap over his heart, exuding a sense of respect and discipline that harkens back to his past. There’s a story told among his former classmates at the Air Force Academy about an afternoon in 2021 when he noticed a couple of cadets not paying their respects during the anthem. Skenes didn’t hesitate to address them, reminding them of the gravity of the moment in light of recent tragedies. His commitment to honoring tradition reflects his broader approach to pitching and preparation.
Skenes has already made waves in the league with his physical performances. Despite not making his major league debut until May 11 last season, he threw over 100 pitches at three-digit speeds, a feat that puts him in a rare class among pitchers. He not only showcases a velocity that impresses fans and scouts alike but has also managed to achieve an astonishingly low ERA and WHIP. Yet, while velocity is thrilling, it comes with its dangers; pitchers throwing at these speeds are at a greater risk for injury, as highlighted by recent studies that identify high velocity and maximum effort as major contributing factors in increasingly common pitching injuries.
“I didn’t read it,” Skenes says bluntly about the data highlighting these risks, showing no interest in conforming to potential limitations the statistics might imply.
Skenes has emerged among a small group of pitchers capable of maintaining a high velocity without succumbing to injuries, standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Jacob deGrom. His goals, however, reach far beyond simply being unscathed; he wants to understand what differentiates him from other high-velocity pitchers who have suffered injuries.
In discussing his training routines, Skenes emphasizes the importance of listening to his body while maximizing his performance. He works diligently with his longtime trainer Eugene Bleecker, refusing to cut corners or neglect any part of his regimen. Driven by a desire to elevate his game, he’s in a constant pursuit of knowledge that sets him apart from his peers.
With that driven mindset, Skenes’s recent coaching and training have been reminiscent of the very evolution of pitching in the modern game. While velocity has skyrocketed across the league, the transformation has not come without concern. Teams must navigate a treacherous landscape of injury risks, with pitchers often bearing the brunt. But Skenes is part of a new wave; he’s learning how to throw harder, yet more efficiently, one of several elite throwers who are flipping the script on the narrative of injury and velocity.
Statistics are one thing, but digging deeper shows how body mechanics play a crucial role in longevity. Skenes, at 6’6″ and 260 pounds, is engineered for power, blending size with finely-tuned techniques. He’s come a long way since his high school days when he began training with Bleecker and adopted pitching as his primary focus. The technical precision and rigorous training regime he has followed have allowed him to redefine his capabilities on the mound.
Skenes and his coaching team have focused on developing a pitching style that strikes a balance between power and safety. One drill involves strapping a water-filled apparatus to his back, which helps him maintain proper form during his pitching delivery. Any misalignment shows itself immediately as the water shifts, giving Skenes an intuitive feedback mechanism.
In this fierce landscape of high-velocity pitching, Skenes has drawn comparisons to previous elite pitchers, but he focuses on carving out his own path, acknowledging the awareness and precision that distinguishes his delivery. His mechanics, the interplay of body movements and powerful rotations, are designed not just for speed but for sustainability throughout his career.
With every throw, Skenes is not simply looking to add velocity but to create pitches that are efficient and refined. Just as Captain Chuck Yeager pushed boundaries in aviation history, Skenes is exploring the upper limits of what is possible in pitching. Enthusiastic about the potential for shaping the future of the sport, he speaks with a genuine excitement about creating a legacy that transcends mere numbers.
“I want to be the guy that figures something out before anyone else,” he reveals. It’s a declaration of intent that solidifies his ambition of being ahead of the curve, even if that journey requires tight-lipped maneuvering around his methods.
As baseball evolves, and especially as pitching continues to push boundaries, Skenes is determined not only to be part of the conversation but to lead it. Watching him pitch is like witnessing the power and elegance of a finely tuned machine. The thrill of speed intersected with the artistry of human capability is what captivates fans. For pitchers like Skenes, the stakes are high, but so are the rewards, and he’s set to redefine the future of baseball, one pitch at a time.
