Former Yankees reliever Adam Ottavino bluntly responded to Pirates ace Paul Skenes’ recent comments suggesting that playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic may have contributed to his significant velocity decline this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes said the World Baseball Classic was "the root" of his velocity drop in 2026. He is 10-11 this season.

Skenes pointed to his pitching for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic as the reason for added fatigue – and a decline in performance – pitching for the Pirates this season. The WBC took place from March 5-17 ahead of the MLB season beginning March 26.

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes said the World Baseball Classic disrupted his spring ramp-up, contributing to a velocity dip and a nearly doubled ERA this season.

Over the weekend, Skenes acknowledged that the World Baseball Classic may have contributed to his fluctuating velocity and down year because it interrupted his usual spring training buildup.

Wietgrefe may be the most major league ready of the three, as the lefty has a 3.08 ERA in 16 starts at Triple-A. He probably could have helped the Pirates in September, although given the looming lockout and scant playoff odds, it was the right decision to delay adding him to the 40-man.