Sports
The Year of the Splinker: How Paul Skenes Is Changing Baseball
Welcome to the Year of the Splinker.
The signature pitch from Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes is expected to continue its ascent into baseball lexicon in 2025. It is part slider, part sinker and completely the next great thing.
Skenes’ pitch generated equal parts curiosity as it did outs. It is clearly fun to say—just watch a broadcast of any Skenes outing—while being far from enjoyable to hit.
Marketing possibilities are endless:
One Splinker Cola, please.
Our lawn stays green all summer with The Splinker.
The rates on a Splinker Loan are guaranteed to drop.
Skenes seemed to be just warming up when he unleashed the combination sinker/slider on MLB hitters starting in May last season.
At optimal execution, the pitch starts toward the lower third of the strike zone and uses a deliberate sideways slider spin before dropping toward the bottom of, or beneath, the zone just as it reaches the plate.
Considered by some as MLB’s hardest pitch to hit in 2024, it has made Skenes an instant star, although the Orange County, California, native has been rocketing toward this moment for some time now.
A standout pitcher in high school, Skenes spent time at the United States Air Force Academy and at LSU before he was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2023. He made just 12 minor league starts while posting a 2.12 ERA and 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings before the Pirates decided the time was now.
There was mostly success last season, but even in the brief moments when things did not go his way, Skenes had a way of compartmentalizing it like a savvy veteran.
In a June 5 outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Skenes’ fifth major league start, L.A. star Shohei Ohtani rocked a full-count 100 mph fastball off the batter’s eye in center field. With a 7-0 lead at the time, Skenes could not resist the chance to test power on power.
The moment turned into a valuable lesson when Skenes faced the Dodgers again on Aug. 10 and he set down Ohtani all three times, including the last two by strikeout. The first strikeout came on a 93.5 mph foul-tip splinker. The second came swinging on an 83.5 mph curveball.
“I think we learned our lesson the last time,” Skenes said. “Just wanted to show him different stuff.”
One batter after Ohtani struck out for the second time, the Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández hit a home run off the splinker. Even then, Skenes’ confidence was present after the pitch yielded a home run for the first time in his 15 starts to that point.
“I’m not going to stop throwing it,” Skenes said. “He won the Home Run Derby, right? He won it for a reason. You have to tip your cap, and I’m going to keep attacking guys with that pitch.”
When the season was complete, Skenes was 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 133 innings. And with the Pirates out of contention down the stretch, he leaned into his changeup a bit more to establish that as an out pitch in his wide-ranging arsenal.
Skenes was the National League starter in the All-Star Game last July and finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting behind Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies and winner Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves. He was named NL Rookie of the Year by a healthy margin over the San Diego Padres’ Jackson Merrill.
Set to face the Miami Marlins on Opening Day, Skenes’ second start was expected to come against the Tampa Bay Rays next week. His first home start could come against the New York Yankees.
April also will include a three-game set against the World Series champion Dodgers in Los Angeles and a potential duel with MVP Ohtani again, but really, any night Skenes takes the mound is a reason to watch. He was as good as anybody for five months last season, and the assumption is that he will only get better.
The last time the Pirates were in the postseason was in 2015 when they lost in the wild-card round for the second consecutive season. They lost in the division series in 2013. Skenes intends to end Pittsburgh’s decade-long wait for a postseason game.
“The bar needs to be set pretty high,” Skenes told MLB.com with the 2025 season drawing near. “Not taking anything from those (2013-15) guys. The fact that that’s a golden era of recent Pirates baseball, that needs to change. We owe it to the city.”
And the splinker could get them there.
Sports
Braves put closer Raisel Iglesias on IL, Robert Suarez to close
Apr 15, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Raisel Iglesias (26) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the ninth inning at Truist Park. All players are wearing number 42 today in honor of Jackie Robinson. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images The Atlanta Braves placed closer Raisel Iglesias on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with discomfort in his right (throwing) shoulder.
Iglesias has said he’s felt the discomfort since sleeping on his shoulder wrong Friday night. But the Braves conducted an MRI that found no structural damage.
“There’s some inflammation there,” Braves manager Walt Weiss told reporters. “We feel like we’re getting out in front of this thing a little bit.”
Iglesias, 36, has amassed a 42-55 record, 258 saves and a 2.86 ERA in his 12 major league seasons, including four-plus years in Atlanta. He was off to a perfect start to the season, with five saves and no runs allowed over eight games (8 2/3 innings). He’s tossed 11 strikeouts to only one walk.
While Iglesias is sidelined, Robert Suarez will take over closing duties. Suarez led the National League with 40 saves while serving as the San Diego Padres’ closer last season; then he signed a three-year, $45 million deal to join the Braves and their bullpen.
The right-handed Suarez has gone 2-0 with one save and an 0.93 ERA for Atlanta in 10 appearances, used mostly as a setup man. He was an All-Star in 2024 and 2025 for the Padres.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Orlando City want attack to catch up to defense vs. Charlotte
Mar 14, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando City midfielder Martin Ojeda (10) shoots on goal during the second half against the CF Montreal at Inter&Co Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images Orlando City will be hoping for a much-needed attacking breakthrough on Wednesday night when they host a Charlotte FC side in search of a second consecutive away victory.
Orlando (1-6-1, 4 points) has been one of Major League Soccer’s most disappointing teams this season, costing former manager Oscar Pareja his job last month.
But there is some evidence that maybe the Lions have at least righted the ship defensively. After conceding 23 times in their first six games, interim manager Martin Perelman’s group has allowed only two goals in the last three fixtures across all competitions.
“I think we organize the team. It never is enough, always (important) to improve things,” Perelman said. “We are in that part. Last details. But yes, the structure is there. In the offensive side as well, we are working. Hopefully we can get the shape we want, that we are used to. Because in this club we have been scoring a lot for the last two years.”
So far, though, the attacking end remains pretty dire. After Martin Ojeda and Marco Pasalic combined for 28 MLS goals a season ago, they only have two apiece for a team with six goals total.
Pasalic also missed last week’s 1-0 home loss to Houston on Saturday night with a leg injury.
Charlotte (4-2-2, 14 points) makes the journey south following a 2-1 victory at New York City FC on Saturday, one that came despite holding a season-low 36% possession.
Defender Tim Ream exited that match at halftime and will miss roughly a week with an adductor strain, Charlotte manager Dean Smith said.
Idan Toklomati scored early in the second half and Kerwin Vargas added a goal late before NYCFC pulled one back in second-half stoppage time. And Charlotte created a similar number of chances to NYCFC despite having less of the ball.
Smith hopes the performance sets the tone for upcoming travels, with Charlotte to play its next three league games away after five of its first eight came at home.
“There’s not plenty of away games we’ve played so far, such is the fixture list,” Smith said. “We didn’t start on the road well, but we showed loads of characteristics that I liked on Saturday. And we need to continue to do that in the next three away games as well.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Union bring challenged offense north to face streaking Toronto FC
Apr 18, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto FC midfielder Malik Henry (78) attempts to control the ball against Austin FC during the second half at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images Toronto FC will aim to extend their unbeaten streak to seven matches when the Philadelphia Union visit on Wednesday.
Toronto (3-2-3, 12 points) is 3-0-3 in its last six outings. Wednesday marks the sixth date of Toronto FC’s nine-match homestand, and the club is unbeaten (4-0-8) in its last 12 home matches dating back to last season.
Despite the good results, midfielder Malik Henry felt his team left victories on the table.
“Some of the draws we’ve had, we feel like we definitely could have won those games, which makes it a bit more disappointing,” Henry told TFC Republic. “We just have to take the points and then continue to move forward with it.”
Walker Zimmerman is expected to be available Wednesday, in a boost to an injury-depleted back line. Zimmerman missed Toronto’s last two matches with a calf injury.
Toronto FC’s offense has been both varied and efficient. Eight Toronto players have at least one goal this season, and the team’s 51.5% accurate shooting percentage is the best in MLS.
The Union are at the other end of the attacking spectrum, with a 27.1% AS percentage that ranks second-last in the league.
Philadelphia (1-6-1, 4 points) has recorded only six goals in eight regular-season matches, ahead of only four-goal D.C. United in MLS.
The lack of offense contributed to the Union’s season-opening six-game losing streak, and goals remain at a premium even as Philadelphia has gone 1-0-1 in its last two matches. The Union outshot D.C. United 17-6 on Saturday and held D.C. without a shot on target, yet still had to settle for a 0-0 draw.
Philadelphia coach Bradley Carnell felt that returning to the striker pairing of Bruno Damiani and Ezekiel Alladoh can help unlock the Union’s offense.
“We have tried a lot of different combinations (at forward) and now we go back-to-back with the same,” Carnell said. “Every day we get together with Eze and Bruno working together, it’s … one day more advanced and developed.”
–Field Level Media
Braves put closer Raisel Iglesias on IL, Robert Suarez to close
Orlando City want attack to catch up to defense vs. Charlotte
