The Paul Skenes puzzle. Plus: Re-meet this former FedEx driver turned MLBer

The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic’s MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox.I have no idea what’s wrong with Paul Skenes, but it sure doesn’t seem like the answer is “nothing.”Plus: The Angels keep making moves, Jose Cuas makes a memorable delivery and Tyler Kepner was there for Cal Raleigh’s blunt assessment of himself and the Mariners.I’m Levi Weaver — welcome to The Windup!What’s going on with Skenes?In Tuesday’s Power Rankings, we identified ways that each team could feel good about their second half. My Pirates entry included this:Skenes’ average fastball velocity has gone from 98.8 (2024) to 98.2 (2025) and was all the way down to 96.5 in July. So far in August, it has crept back up to 97.1, so maybe that’s a good sign? Reader, it was no