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
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series
May 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement
Aug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
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