Former MLB Player Explains How Paul Skenes Has 'Already Mastered' Sport

Former MLB Player Explains How Paul Skenes Has 'Already Mastered' Sport originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh . Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

Paul Skenes is only in his third Major League season and just 23 years old, but he's already reached heights that few MLB pitchers ever have.

In Tuesday's start against the Colorado Rockies , Skenes struck out the first six batters he faced and didn't allow a hit until the seventh inning. He finished with eight shutout innings and became the first Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher in the expansion era to strike out the side at least three times in one game.

During his appearance on MLB Network Radio on Wednesday, former MLB player Xavier Scruggs was simply in awe of Skenes .

"I legitimately thought that he was throwing a perfect game yesterday," Scruggs said. "The swing and miss stuff, the command was there, nobody was on his fastball. He can throw six other pitches, and it don't matter."

Scruggs continued to explain why he loves watching Skenes pitch and why Skenes is so dominant .

"It's just fun to watch the idea of, this guy's already mastered it. At 23 years old, he's already mastered it," Scruggs added. "Guys are hitting .094 against the fastball. He don't even need to throw anything else. But he does, because he understands his arsenal. He understands how to get the weak contact early."

Scruggs noted that Skenes' confidence and poise are super rare for a 23-year-old, as many players at that age are still learning the game and finding their way in the big leagues.

Not Skenes, who's already established himself as the best pitcher in the sport with two All-Star nods and a unanimous NL Cy Young award to prove it. Through his first 64 career starts, he has a mind-boggling 1.97 ERA.

Most players never come close to mastering the game the way Skenes has, especially so early in his career. And given his age, he might still get even better.

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