The World Baseball Classic isn’t over quite yet, but it is for Paul Skenes.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ace completed his tournament duties with Sunday’s gem in the semifinal game against the Dominican Republic. Now, all that’s left for him to do is watch and cheer on his teammates during Tuesday’s championship game.
As promised, Skenes made two starts for Team USA during the tournament, and both were excellent. He won both of them, going 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA and nine strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings.
The reigning NL Cy Young winner earned tons of praise along the way, from teammates, managers, reporters and opponents. Some wondered if the 23-year-old would be able to handle the pressure of facing elite competition on such a big stage, and he left no doubts.
“He wants the moment,” Mark DeRosa said.
“He’s the stopper,” Bryce Harper said.
“Special presence, special man,” DeRosa added.
Last night, Paul Skenes faced the toughest lineup he’s ever faced. Here’s the story of how he lead Team USA to the semifinal win:https://t.co/EZe3N8Rrih
— Colin Beazley (@colin_beazley) March 16, 2026
Now that his playing time in the tournament is over, Skenes is glad he took the opportunity and pitched for his country, even though it meant altering his offseason routine and ramping up a bit earlier than usual.
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“It was an easy decision for me,” Skenes told Colin Beazley of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Yeah, there are sacrifices that you have to make. You have to do a little more in the offseason, do things a little bit differently. Easy decision, and definitely glad I made that decision.”
Skenes admitted he didn’t know what to expect coming into the tournament, but he’s loved it.
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“It’s been awesome,” Skenes added. “I didn’t really have any expectations coming into the tournament. Didn’t know what to expect. It hasn’t disappointed.”
More Pirates: USA Manager Praises Paul Skenes After World Baseball Classic Masterpiece