Joey Bart is heading into his third season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, which means he’s been there for Paul Skenes’ entire MLB career so far. After two years of catching Skenes, he’s seen up close how great he is.
Skenes proved it to the entire planet during the World Baseball Classic, going 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA and nine strikeouts in his two starts for USA.
Bart wasn’t surprised to see his teammate dominate on such a big stage.
“I think he just knows he’s the best, I think that’s what it comes down to,” Bart said on Tuesday’s episode of “Foul Territory.” “I’ve never seen him not rise to the occasion. He’s the ultimate escape artist when guys get on base.”
“I’ve never seen him not rise to the occasion. The way he attacks every day is on a whole other level.”
Joey Bart breaks down what makes Paul Skenes so good, and if he’s seen any emotion from him before. pic.twitter.com/oMYgL8PY2U
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 17, 2026
Bart continued to praise Skenes and explain what makes him so special.
Story continues below advertisement
“I think you can look at the substance, obviously, of what he’s done, and you can probably say it’s never been done before,” Bart continued. “The way he attacks every day is just on a whole ‘nother level. His mindset, mentality is elite, and that’s why he does what he does… When he’s here, man, it’s just business all day every day.”
While Skenes is known for not showing much emotion when he plays, Bart added that USA’s tense win over the Dominican Republic in the WBC semifinal on Sunday might have been the most emotional the two-time All-Star has ever been.
Story continues below advertisement
USA ultimately fell short, however, losing the final to Venezuela by one run on Tuesday. Now it’s back to spring training for Skenes, who still has a week to prepare for his Opening Day start against the New York Mets next Thursday.
More Pirates: Pirates Newcomer Shares Pitch-Perfect Take On Andrew McCutchen’s Offseason Exit