In my previous fantasy baseball article, I took a look at some of the top prospects in baseball. As of last weekend, one of those players is no longer simply a prospect but a full blown major leaguer. Of course, I am talking about Paul Skenes, who made his debut in the big leagues on Saturday. Now that everyone has had a moment to catch their breath, what should fantasy managers expect going forward? This Fantasy Baseball Paul Skenes edition, hopefully, will provide some clarity.

Paul Skenes Makes His Major League Debut

First off, it is not a surprise to anyone that Paul Skenes made his major league debut Saturday against the Cubs in Pittsburgh. His fastball has ignited the excitement of the team, fans and fantasy managers alike. In that first start, that pitch didn’t disappoint. In four plus innings, Skenes reached or exceeded 100 MPH 17 times. Additionally, his slider was exceptional.

However, despite all of that, his debut was mixed, to say the least. In those 4.2 innings, Skenes struck out seven hitters. Obviously, that is good, of course. Even so, the rest of his numbers weren’t steller. He needed 82 pitches to get his 12 outs. He issued a couple of walks and hit a batter. Further, he allowed three earned runs, finishing with a 6.75 ERA.

The good news is that he wasn’t tagged with a loss. Despite the Pirate’s relievers doing everything they could to blow the game, the Pirates eventually prevailed 10-9. The question is: was his inconsistency just nerves or a sign of things to come? According to Pirates manager Derek Shelton, chalk it up to nerves. Certainly, that would be the obvious answer. No one would be calm in a situation like that.

What Should Fantasy Managers Expect out of Skenes Going Forward?

Now that the speculation of when he would make his debut is behind us, what should his fantasy managers expect of him? Before getting into that, anyone playing fantasy baseball needs to make sure that Skenes is, in fact, on a roster and not on waivers. That sure seems improbable, but crazier things have happened. Obviously, he needs to be 100% rostered in all formats.

That being said, we can focus on the future, which will arrive Friday. Interestingly, that start will also occur against the Cubs, this time in Chicago. For those that have Skenes on the roster, my message on this Fantasy Baseball Paul Skenes edition is simple: start him whenever possible, but be cautious. More than likely, he won’t be pitching very late in many games this year.

There is no immediate concern, but as the season gets into late summer, Pittsburgh is surely going to curtail his innings. Quite possibly, they could do that to the point of shutting him down completely. I see little chance of Skenes helping a team in the fantasy playoffs. In fact, he may not help much down the stretch, either. In the end, that fact needs to be on the mind of his fantasy managers so that expectations don’t run widely out of control.

The Final Word

Thank you for joining me for this Fantasy Baseball Paul Skenes edition! As always. debate and discussion are highly encouraged. Agree or disagree with anything in the article? Let’s talk about it.

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