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Paul Skenes humorously admits he feels 'too stupid' to manage pitch-calling during games, preferring to rely on his catcher. The Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher emphasizes trust in his team's decision-making.
Photo by Christopher Denver/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Paul Skenes gave a funny answer when asked how much control he takes over pitch-calling during starts.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ace did not try to make himself sound like a one-man pitching lab on the mound.
Instead, Skenes joked that he leaves the important decisions to his catcher because he trusts the person behind the plate more than himself in that area.
Photo by Bryan Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images
On The Pat McAfee Show, Paul Skenes said he does not usually shake off his catcherâs signs because he prefers letting them handle the game plan.
âYeah, catcher. I donât shake a ton, you know, Iâm too stupid to call my own pitches, so I just let him do it. Heâs got my career in his hands every fifth day,â Skenes said.
The answer was clearly self-deprecating, but it also showed how much trust Skenes has in his battery mates.
Pitchers can shake off signs when they disagree, but Skenes made it sound like he rarely feels the need to take over.
That matters because a pitcher with his stuff could easily want full control. Instead, he seems comfortable letting the catcher manage sequences while he focuses on execution.
Paul Skenes believes his catcher is more capable of making important pitch-calling decisions, which he humorously attributes to his own lack of confidence in that area.
Paul Skenes plays for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Paul Skenes jokingly referred to himself as 'too stupid' to learn the skill of pitch-calling effectively.

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Skenes then explained that the Pirates are not using a system where every pitch call comes from the dugout.
âYeah, itâs all him. Some teams are doing the, you know, from the dugout stuff, but we do it where Henry calls the game, and Joey and Endy and our other catchers, they all call the game for themselves,â Skenes added.
That puts real responsibility on Henry Davis and the rest of Pittsburghâs catching group.
Skenesâ point was that his catchers are not just receiving pitches. They are reading hitters, setting up sequences, and helping guide the entire start.
For a young ace, that kind of trust can be important. It keeps the pitcher from overthinking and allows the catcher to manage the chess match from behind the plate.
Skenes may have joked that he is âtoo stupidâ to call his own pitches, but the answer really showed a smart partnership. He knows where he wants control, and he knows where he is willing to trust someone else.
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