Paul Skenes was considered the top prospect throughout baseball when the 2024 season got underway. As the Pittsburgh Pirates started the season, they decided to give Skenes a little more minor league seasoning before bringing him to the parent club. They did just that before bringing him up in May. Since that time, Skenes has been one of the best pitchers in the National League, and he was rewarded with a selection to the MLB All-Star Game in his rookie season. Pirates fans could not be surprised that he will be one of the headliners of the National League pitching staff because his numbers have been so dominant. His girlfriend Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, perhaps even more famous than Skenes, offered her congratulations on Twitter/X. Her tweet was simple: “He’s an All-Star.”
Dunne has been a member of LSU’s gymnastics team, but her popularity has come from her status as a social media influencer and college athlete who has benefitted greatly from the NIL (Name, Image Likeness) opportunities. Dunne recently signed a multi-million dollar deal with Passages, a company that allows athletes and others to develop revenue streams by offering exclusive content to fans. Dunne’s visibility has been high throughout her college career, and it has been even greater since Skenes was promoted to the major leagues.
Paul Skenes has made 10 starts since his May 11 debut with the Pirates. He has a 5-0 record with a 2.12 earned run average. He has struck out 78 batters and walked 12 in 59.1 innings. Skenes has pitched on 5 days rest for all but one of his starts since he started his career by taking the mound against the Chicago Cubs. He gave up three earned runs in that game and did the same in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in early June, but he has given up 0 or 1 earned run in six of his starts. Skenes features a dynamic fastball that often exceeds 100 miles per hour, a sinker, slider, and a curveball. His sinker looks very similar to his fastball when he releases it, but it is about 6 miles per hour slower and it dives before reaching home plate.
The 22-year-old will be joined on the National League All-Star team by his teammate outfielder Bryan Reynolds. They are the only two Pirates selected to the All-Star team. The Philadelphia Phillies had four pitchers selected, including lefthanders Ranger Suarez and Matt Strahm. Righthanders Zack Wheeler and Jeff Hoffman were also selected from the National League East leaders. Other National League pitchers include Tyler Glasnow of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Shota Imanaga of the Chicago Cubs, Reynaldo Lopez and Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves, Logan Webb of the San Francisco Giants, Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals, Tanner Scott of the Miami Marlins, and Robert Suarez of the San Diego Padres.
Paul Skenes makes more MLB history as Olivia Dunne’s boyfriend is selected for the 2024 All-Star Game in his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Skenes has become the first player ever to be drafted with the No 1 overall pick and then become an MLB All-Star in their first season. The Pirates sensation is also the first rookie pitcher in Pittsburgh history to make the All-Star team after he was selected for the National League roster. Skenes, whose relationship with gymnast Olivia Dunne has heightened the attention around his MLB career, has shone since taking to the mound for the first time. The 22-year-old made his maiden big league start on May 11 and is 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 10 starts and 78 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings. He has thrown 74 pitches of 100mph or more.
Skenes has now been named as one of the 13 NL pitchers for the game, which takes place at Arlington’s Globe Life Field on July 16. Skenes’s relationship with Olivia Dunne has heightened the attention around his MLB career. He has technically replaced Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler, who was selected to the All-Star Game, but is ineligible to pitch because he is slated to play against the A’s next weekend. The All-Star teams are selected through a combination of fan voting, player picks, and MLB Commissioner choices. The nine starting players in each league are decided by supporters, who make their pick over two phases of voting. The rest of the rosters are then picked via player ballot – with 17 spots up for grabs on each team – and the Commissioner’s Office, which is responsible for selecting six additional players from each league. Skenes was picked by MLB officials, who also tasked with ensuring that every team is represented in the All-Star Game. Skenes is one of only two Pirates players on the NL roster, alongside outfielder Bryan Reynolds. The 22-year-old could reportedly be the starting pitcher for the National League.
Earlier this month, Skenes made MLB history, recording seven or more strikeouts in nine of his first ten starts – something no other pitcher has ever done. On Saturday, meanwhile, Dunne was joined by four of her fellow WAGs to watch the Pirates’ game against the New York Mets. Dunne poses with her fellow Pittsburgh Pirates WAGs at PNC Park on Saturday afternoon.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes earned his first trip to the MLB All-Star Game, scheduled for next week in Arlington, Texas, and his girlfriend Olivia Dunne commemorated this milestone in a memorable fashion once the news broke. “You definitely can’t expect it,” Skenes said. Olivia Dunne reveals the shocking reason for Olympic snub in viral TikTok. “I think it’s just a product of being present and doing the work that it takes, that kind of thing. The expectation was definitely to win the national championship when we were there. That was the only thing that we wanted to do. But in terms of getting drafted first overall, getting called up whenever I was called up, and now the All-Star game, there were no expectations for me. It’s kind of just about doing as much as I can and allowing others to make the decision for me. And so it’s been a lot that’s happened over the course of a year. It hasn’t necessarily been a whirlwind or anything like that, but looking back, it’s gone quick.”
Dunne’s surprise Dunne took to social media, sharing the MLB’s announcement of Skenes’ All-Star selection with the caption, “he’s an ALL STAR!” On Instagram, she posted stories featuring festive balloons spelling out “ALL STAR,” along with a spread of pizza and champagne. Additionally, Olivia Dunne shared a TikTok video where she, dressed elegantly in a long black dress, gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look at her preparations. The video shows her arranging the balloons and pizza to surprise Skenes after his return from a 3-2 loss to the Mets. The video concludes with the moment Skenes arrives at their apartment, grinning at the sight of the celebratory setup and Dunne’s excitement. “Surprising my bf after finding out he’s an MLB All-Star,” she captioned the video. With this All-Star nod, Skenes made history by becoming the first player to be drafted No. 1 overall and make it to the All-Star Game in the following season.
It’s good to be Paul Skenes these days. The Pirates’ star rookie made a bit of history Sunday when he was named to the MLB All-Star Game by becoming the first player to be taken No. 1 overall in the draft and then be named to the following year’s All-Star team, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Skenes is in the middle of a wild season since being called up and making his MLB debut May 11 in a start against the Chicago Cubs. The rookie flamethrower is 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP in 59 1/3 innings. Rookie Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was named an All-Star on Sunday. The LSU product has 78 strikeouts in that span and a .221 batting average against.
“You definitely can’t expect it,” Skenes said of his nod for the All-Star Game, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I think it’s just a product of being present and doing the work that it takes, that kind of thing. The expectation was definitely to win the national championship when we were there. That was the only thing that we wanted to do. But in terms of getting drafted first overall, getting called up whenever I was called up, and now the All-Star game, there were no expectations for me. It’s kind of just about doing as much as I can and allowing others to make the decision for me. And so it’s been a lot that’s happened over the course of a year. It hasn’t necessarily been a whirlwind or anything like that, but looking back, it’s gone quick.”
Skenes has been in the spotlight, not only for his play on the field, but for his relationship with gymnastics superstar and social media influencer Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, which they officially announced in August of 2023 in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. While Skenes and Dunne have made headlines over the relationship, Skenes’ play has quickly made him a household name among sports. “I think the thing we’re seeing with him is No. 1, he has really elite stuff,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “The things that we’re seeing on him is his ability to grow within starts. I think even the last two starts, the first couple innings he’s been out of sorts a bit with his mechanics and we’ve seen him make adjustments and not let games get away from him. That’s a really rare thing for a young pitcher. I think it shows how good his stuff is. And I think it shows why we took him last year because we thought this was a guy that could accelerate himself to the big leagues very quickly and be very successful.”
But there was one person in the stands Saturday who had reason to be more excited than the typical Bucs fan in the crowd at PNC Park. Skenes’ girlfriend is popular former LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, who was in attendance for his MLB debut against the Cubs. Dunne caught up with Sportsnet Pittsburgh’s Hannah Mears during the third inning, reflecting on what the journey to this point has been like for the duo. “I had some nerves creeping in at first, but I kind of channeled that into excitement more than nerves,” said Dunne, whose estimated NIL value of $3.9 million ranks second among amateur athletes, behind University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. “I just have the most confidence in him ever, so I trust in him and what he’s put in, and I’m just so excited.” Skenes struck out seven batters in his four-plus innings of work, allowing six hits, two walks, and three earned runs in the process. Notably, he had 17 pitches of at least 100 mph despite his limited workload, the third-most by any MLB player in a game this season. Though he did not get the win, he played a key role in Pittsburgh’s thrilling 10-9 victory, which pleased a very passionate fan base in the building to watch their prized prospect.
“It’s amazing, the support here is awesome. Pittsburgh has been so welcoming,” said Dunne, who has more than 13 million combined followers on Instagram and TikTok. “Just the people wearing Air Force stuff [Skenes’ first college before transferring to LSU], LSU stuff, wearing Skenes jerseys; the support here is unreal, and I love it.” One specific anecdote that came up during Dunne’s and Mears’ conversation was the immediate aftermath of Skenes being called up from Triple-A. The pair woke up from a nap to some missed calls on Skenes’ phone, which they quickly realized were meant to signify his big league callup. They missed an ensuing flight as a result and had to drive six hours to get to Pittsburgh on time. “All I can say is I think that’s the quickest I’ve ever packed in my life,” reflected Dunne, who was an All-American in the uneven bars as a freshman in 2021 after finishing ninth nationally in the event. “We just woke up from a nap, he had a few missed calls, and he got called up. He was like, ‘Let’s pack,’ and then we hit the road. It was so exciting.”
All travel inconveniences aside, the journey was a memorable one for the pair, with Dunne expressing extreme gratitude for the opportunity to watch Skenes compete at the top level. Even if game day itself proved to be quite stressful. “I always say it’s way harder to be the person in the stands because I’m not in control. I don’t know how to throw a 100-mile-an-hour fastball,” said Dunne, whose LSU Tigers just brought home the gymnastics national championship for the first time in school history. “It’s hard to have no control, especially with gymnastics when you’re watching. But I know he’s just got this, and I have a lot of confidence in him.” That confidence was justified on Saturday afternoon, with Skenes largely impressing besides a rough start to the fifth inning. And even in a relationship that has featured some remarkable moments from Skenes on the field thus far — including when he brought his own NCAA championship to LSU a year ago — she said it was hard to top the one that unfolded at PNC Park. “I have so many amazing memories with him, but I know how hard he’s worked for this moment, all the hours, and I just know what a hard worker he is,” said Dunne. “Seriously, there’s nothing that can top this. I’m just so proud.”
Source: USA Today, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
