Paul Skenes’ prime years are being wasted, & it’s eerily similar to another MLB star

Major League Baseball has watched this movie before. A generational young pitcher becomes one of the best players in the sport almost immediately. He dominates. His team doesn’t. Years pass while everyone keeps waiting for the franchise around him to catch up. Paul Skenes is starting to look disturbingly similar to Félix Hernández. MORE: 4 MLB teams most likely to win the World Series, not including the Dodgers Hernández became the face of the Seattle Mariners while spending his prime pitching for teams that routinely failed to give him enough offensive support. The defining example came in 2010, when he won the AL Cy Young with a 13-12 record, 2.27 ERA and the lowest run support of any qualified American League starter. Seattle went 61-101. King Félix never reached the postseason during his 15 seasons in Seattle. Skenes won the 2025 NL Cy Young after posting a sub-2.00 ERA through each of his first two major-league seasons. Yet the Pirates have spent much of his young career struggling to turn dominant starts into wins. Apr 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) reacts as he receives a new baseball against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images MORE: Major League Baseball releases 2026 playoff schedule It’s a fair comp. And Pittsburgh should be absolutely terrified by it. Ryan Spaeder highlighted the absurdity entering this season: Skenes was just 21-13 through his first 55 starts despite elite performance, and his record would have looked dramatically different with even average offensive support. Now another concern has appeared. Skenes’ velocity has dipped, and Pittsburgh pulled him after only 65 pitches against Miami this week while acknowledging workload and command concerns. MORE: Most dangerous MLB team right now isn’t even in a playoff spot Sep 3, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez (34) delivers against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Pitchers don’t get unlimited primes. Hernández was dominant for roughly a decade before injuries and declining velocity changed everything after age 30. Seattle kept believing there would eventually be another year. There wasn’t.  Pittsburgh cannot make the same mistake. Building around Skenes isn’t something the Pirates should eventually do. They should already be doing it. — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —