Watch Paul Skenes Break Down How He'd Strike Out Babe Ruth in Mookie Betts Convo

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is not short on confidence when he's on the mound, so it's no surprise that he feels he could take care of any batter in any MLB era.

During an appearance on On Base with Mookie Betts, Skenes was asked by the Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop about how he'd approach a hypothetical matchup against the legendary Babe Ruth. The 23-year-old laid out a four-pitch sequence featuring three fastballs and capped by his patented splinker to get the strikeout against one of the greatest hitters baseball has ever seen.

"Probably just throw a splinker in there, see what happens," Skenes said.

"And I think he probably swings and misses, he may not get to five [pitches]," Betts responded. "There's no way he's seen a splinker before, not many of us have."

Skenes wasted no time in becoming one of MLB's best pitchers since he was promoted to the majors early in the 2024 season. He was named National League Rookie of the Year after posting a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 23 starts. This season, he leads MLB with a 2.05 ERA while adding 187 strikeouts across 28 starts. His success has largely been due to his unique splinker, a split-fingered sinker that has been nearly unhittable.

Skenes is scheduled to start Thursday's series finale against the Dodgers, so Betts will get a good look at his splinker when he gets up to the plate.