Alec Burleson vs Paul Skenes
Platoon edge to the batter
Updated Jun 4, 2026
The Almanac's Take
Burleson comes in as a left-handed bat against Skenes's right arm, so the platoon edge is real — and his season line backs it up: .290/.348/.446 with a 16.4% strikeout rate that won't scare anyone facing a pitcher running 10.0 K/9. Skenes is legitimately tough — 3.34 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 7.2 K/BB over 64.2 innings — so Burleson needs to be selective given that 1.4 BB/9 means free passes are scarce. The H2H is 21 plate appearances, small enough to treat as a footnote, though an 87.4 mph average exit velocity in those meetings suggests Burleson hasn't been squaring him up cleanly. The season read is the play here: Burleson is a functional hitter in a tough spot.
Career head-to-head
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
| Pitch | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 4-Seam Fastball | 28 | 35.9% |
| Split-Finger | 20 | 25.6% |
| Curveball | 12 | 15.4% |
| Changeup | 11 | 14.1% |
| Sweeper | 3 | 3.8% |
| Sinker | 3 | 3.8% |
| Slider | 1 | 1.3% |
Plate-appearance log
- 2026-04-30Single · Changeup 87.6 mph · 74.0 mph EV
- 2026-04-30Single · Split-Finger 93.2 mph · 109.6 mph EV
- 2026-04-30Strikeout · Sweeper 84.3 mph
- 2025-07-01Double Play · Changeup 88.5 mph · 71.1 mph EV
- 2025-07-01Field Out · Changeup 88.6 mph · 54.3 mph EV
- 2025-05-06Double · 4-Seam Fastball 98.8 mph · 97.1 mph EV
- 2025-05-06Field Out · 4-Seam Fastball 98.4 mph · 103.0 mph EV
- 2025-05-06Strikeout · Split-Finger 93.9 mph
- 2025-04-08Single · Curveball 82.7 mph · 95.8 mph EV
- 2025-04-08Field Out · Split-Finger 92.4 mph · 90.6 mph EV
- 2025-04-08Strikeout · Split-Finger 94.6 mph
- 2024-09-16Walk · Split-Finger 93.8 mph
- 2024-09-16Single · Split-Finger 92.8 mph · 82.6 mph EV
- 2024-09-16Field Out · Split-Finger 94.7 mph · 89.2 mph EV
- 2024-07-23Single · 4-Seam Fastball 98.8 mph · 101.7 mph EV
- 2024-07-23Field Out · 4-Seam Fastball 99.0 mph · 69.7 mph EV
- 2024-07-23Field Out · 4-Seam Fastball 98.8 mph · 93.9 mph EV
- 2024-07-23Field Out · Split-Finger 95.3 mph · 66.8 mph EV
- 2024-06-11Single · Curveball 82.6 mph · 98.0 mph EV
- 2024-06-11Single · Curveball 81.5 mph · 100.7 mph EV
- 2024-06-11Strikeout · Curveball 84.3 mph
Alec Burleson — Season
- Slash
- .290/.348/.446
- OPS
- .794
- HR
- 7
- RBI
- 41
- SB
- 2
- PA
- 244
Paul Skenes — Season
- ERA
- 3.34
- WHIP
- 0.90
- IP
- 65
- SO
- 72
- BB
- 10
- K/9
- 10.0