The Padres and Pirates are set to continue their series at PNC Park on Tuesday night. Sam Connon shares his picks and predictions in regards to Pittsburgh\u2019s starting pitcher, Paul Skenes, and his strikeout props.<\/p>\n
The San Diego Padres are visiting the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, with first pitch set for 6:40 p.m. ET\/3:40 p.m. PT. Paul Skenes will take the bump for the Pirates, facing off against Padres veteran Nick Pivetta at PNC Park. Looking at the odds, lines and Skenes\u2019 strikeouts prop on DraftKings Sportsbook<\/a>, here is a breakdown of how the reigning NL Cy Young could perform in his second outing of the season.<\/p>\n Paul Skenes Strikeouts Prop<\/p>\n DraftKings Sportsbook currently has Skenes\u2019 strikeouts thrown line set at 6.5 for Tuesday\u2019s contest against the Padres.<\/p>\n Skenes took a major step in the right direction the last time he took the mound, coming off a disastrous performance on Opening Day. The righty allowed four hits, two walks and five earned runs in 0.2 innings against the Mets back on March 26. Then, he gave up three hits, two walks and one earned run in 5.0 innings on April 1 versus the Reds. Between those two outings, Skenes has racked up six strikeouts. On the whole this season, he now boasts a 1-1 record with a 9.53 ERA, 1.941 WHIP, 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings and a -0.3 WAR.<\/p>\n Those numbers aren\u2019t even in the same zip code as his production from 2024 and 2025 \u2013 when he won NL Rookie of the Year and NL Cy Young, respectively. He entered 2026 with a 21-13 record, 1.96 ERA, 0.948 WHIP, 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings and a 13.5 WAR through 55 career starts. The former No. 1 overall pick and College World Series champion out of LSU is still just 23 years old.<\/p>\n