Paul Skenes knows exactly who deserves a huge share of the credit for his electric performances on the mound. And it's not a superstar slugger or a veteran coach—it's his unheralded teammate behind the plate.

The Pittsburgh Pirates ace recently appeared on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" and made it crystal clear just how much he trusts catcher Henry Davis. "I don't shake (off) a ton," Skenes said. "I'm too stupid to call my own pitches, so I let him do it. He's got my career in his hands every fifth day."

That's a bold statement from a pitcher who has quickly become one of baseball's most dominant arms. But Skenes isn't just being humble—he's highlighting a partnership that's been quietly crucial to his success.

While some teams rely on signals from the dugout to dictate pitch selection, the Pirates take a different approach. They give their catchers full autonomy. "It's all him," Skenes explained. "Some teams are doing the from-the-dugout stuff, but we do it where Henry calls the game. And Joey (Bart) and Endy (Rodriguez) and all our other catchers, they all call the game for themselves."

Skenes revealed that he and Davis rarely need to discuss what's working. "I think a lot of the time it's not even a conversation," he said. "We see how it's going in the bullpen. We see how it is between innings during the game. Sometimes a pitch just sucks, so we just stop calling it. Nothing really needs to be said then, but there's a lot of communication that goes into it."

The numbers back up Skenes' confidence in his battery mate. In 38 career starts with Davis behind the plate, Skenes boasts a stellar 1.85 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. That kind of chemistry doesn't happen by accident—it's built on trust, repetition, and a shared understanding of how to attack hitters.

Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, has struggled at the plate this season, batting just .151/.263/.256. But his defensive work has kept him in the lineup, especially with Joey Bart sidelined by a foot injury. For Skenes, that glove work is everything.

Whether you're a catcher calling pitches or a pitcher trusting your gear, success in baseball is all about having the right partner. And for Paul Skenes, that partner is Henry Davis—every fifth day, without question.