Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal Talk Evolution of Pitching, Pirates Star Predicts AI Factoring Into Impact

After winning the AL and NL Cy Young awards last season, Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes are still learning new ways to attack hitters in an effort to maintain their dominance in 2026 and beyond.

In a conversation with ESPN's Jeff Passan, both pitchers opened up about the ways that data, technology and information inform what they are able to do on the mound.

Skenes praised the "cool" science that MLB teams employ to give players more understanding of their game:

"I mean, you got the Edgertronic camera, the high-speed cameras that make it real easy. You can see what fingers are coming off the ball, but there's stuff you can do with mo-cap now that tells you if your body is compatible, if you will be able to throw a certain pitch with a certain shape and how you might be able to do that. And so it's pretty cool to see"

Despite all the advancements, there's still the matter of being able to execute pitches that can flummox even the best starter in the world. Skubal explained that he has never been able to figure out how to throw a sweeper.

"If I see a new sweeper grip, I almost always pick the ball up and throw it that next day," Skubal said. "Like, almost every time. I can't get it, but I'm relentless. I'll get it one of these days. I'll get it. Or I'll get something else."

Even though Skenes urged him to "stick with" working on the pitch, Skubal said he's been "trying" for two years with no luck.

"It's not good," the Detroit Tigers ace said. "I even throw them on the Trackman, and they're bad..."

One thing that both of them agreed on is being uncertain about what pitching will look like in short- and long-term future, but Skenes did predict that artificial intelligence will factor into it in some way:

"I don't know where it's going. I know I'm curious what the models are going to be. I think AI is going to have something to do with pitching. I don't know what. There are some really smart people in this game, some who work for teams, some who don't, and I'm curious to see what they're going to come up with because some of the models that I've heard about and seen are pretty cool."

AI has made its way into MLB over the years, with players having immediate access to data and video through tablets in the dugout. It's especially prevalent this season, primarily through the technology required for the automated ball-strike challenge system. Teams also use the technology to monitor player health data.

Despite all of the advancements in technology, Skubal pointed out that a lot of the key points of emphasis have remained the same since the dawn of the sport.

"First-pitch strikes, getting to leverage, getting guys out early, limit three-ball counts. All that stuff will never change," Skubal said. "That is timeless."

Even though velocity continues to go up, Skubal did ponder how much harder pitchers will be able to throw when trying to figure out where the next evolution will come from:

"I don't know how much pitching is going to change in the next five to 10 years. I don't know how to predict that. Like, is it going to be more velocity? I don't know. That's hard to do. It's hard to get guys to throw hard. Is someone going to throw 108? I don't know. Maybe, but I don't know. I don't see it, but ... I mean, Mason Miller throws 103 and it looks pretty damn easy for him.

"So I don't want to say, 'No, no one will ever throw 108,' because if you told me he threw 108 tomorrow, I would say, 'Yeah, he probably did.' And I think that's where the game of baseball, pitching in itself, the change in the game and how much analytics and all that stuff you want to put into it, numbers and models and Stuff+ -- we can go down every number you want, but the game of baseball and pitching will never change."

The average pitch velocity increased nearly five full miles per hour from 2002 (81.9 mph) to 2025 (86.8 mph).

You would be hard pressed to find two starting pitchers who are more effective at getting hitters out than Skenes and Skubal.

Skenes, who became the fifth-youngest Cy Young winner in MLB history last year, has rebounded from a rough first outing this season by allowing just three earned runs and six hits in 17.1 innings over his last three starts.

Skubal, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner, is off to a great start in his quest for a third straight award. He has a 2.22 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 24.1 innings over his first four starts.

There is a possibility of a Skubal-Skenes matchup this season. The Tigers and Pirates will play a three-game series at PNC Park from Aug. 17-19.

Their lone matchup to date was at the 2025 MLB All-Star Game when they started for their respective leagues in the Midsummer Classic. Skenes pitched a scoreless inning, while Skubal allowed two runs on three hits in his inning of work.