TJ Friedl vs Paul Skenes

The Almanac's Take

Friedl bats left against Skenes's right arm, so the platoon edge is technically his, but that's about where the good news ends. His season line — .184/.252/.528 OPS across 202 PA — is genuinely rough, and nothing in the head-to-head (16 PA, .143 average, 5 strikeouts) adds confidence; that sample is too thin to mean much, though an 85.6 mph average exit velocity against Skenes is a soft contact signal worth noting. Skenes is running a 10.5 K/9 and 1.05 WHIP this year with a 5.57 K/BB ratio. The platoon label is real; the matchup edge isn't.

Career head-to-head

AVG

.143

2-for-14

PA

16

HR

0

K

5

BB

2

Pitches seen

69

Avg exit velo

85.6 mph

Career meetings in the Statcast era (2015–present). Even a clear edge over a handful of plate appearances is a small sample — read it as color, not a projection.

Pitch mix to the batter

Plate-appearance log

• 2026-04-01Field Out · 4-Seam Fastball 97.7 mph · 83.3 mph EV
• 2026-04-01Walk · 4-Seam Fastball 96.3 mph
• 2026-04-01Walk · 4-Seam Fastball 98.3 mph
• 2025-09-24Strikeout · 4-Seam Fastball 98.0 mph
• 2025-09-24Single · Changeup 89.2 mph · 74.6 mph EV
• 2025-09-24Field Out · Split-Finger 95.6 mph · 76.6 mph EV
• 2025-08-07Double · 4-Seam Fastball 98.9 mph · 106.3 mph EV
• 2025-08-07Force Out · Split-Finger 94.1 mph · 66.5 mph EV
• 2025-08-07Strikeout · Changeup 89.2 mph
• 2024-09-22Hit By Pitch · 4-Seam Fastball 98.2 mph
• 2024-09-22Field Out · 4-Seam Fastball 99.0 mph · 94.6 mph EV
• 2024-08-22Strikeout · 4-Seam Fastball 98.4 mph
• 2024-08-22Strikeout · Changeup 87.6 mph
• 2024-06-17Field Out · 4-Seam Fastball 100.1 mph · 94.6 mph EV
• 2024-06-17Strikeout · 4-Seam Fastball 99.8 mph
• 2024-06-17Field Out · 4-Seam Fastball 99.5 mph · 88.3 mph EV