Olivia Dunne’s 4-Word Reaction to Paul Skenes’ MLB All-Star Game Selection

Paul Skenes was marked as the top prospect in baseball when the 2024 season began. The Pirates, however, decided to give Skenes more minor league experience before bringing him to the majors.

The team made this move earlier in the season, promoting him in May. Since his arrival, Skenes has emerged as one of the best pitchers in the National League, earning a spot in the All-Star game during his rookie season. Pirates fans are not surprised that he will headline the National League pitching staff, given his dominant performance.

His girlfriend Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, who might be even more famous than Skenes, expressed her congratulations on Twitter/X with a simple tweet: “He’s an All-Star.”

Dunne is a member of LSU’s gymnastics team, but she has gained substantial popularity due to her status as a college athlete benefiting from NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities. She recently signed a multi-million dollar deal with Passages, a platform that helps athletes and others generate revenue by offering exclusive content to fans.

Dunne’s visibility has been significant throughout her college career and has grown even more since Skenes entered the major leagues.

Skenes has made ten starts since his debut with the Pirates on May 11. He boasts a 5-0 record with an impressive 2.12 earned run average. He has struck out 78 batters and issued 12 walks over 59.1 innings.

In all but one of his starts, Skenes has pitched on five days rest, beginning his major league career against the Chicago Cubs. Although he gave up three earned runs in that game and another against the Los Angeles Dodgers in early June, he has allowed zero or one earned run in six of his ten outings.

Skenes showcases a dynamic fastball that often exceeds 100 miles per hour, along with a sinker, slider, and curveball. His sinker closely resembles his fastball upon release but is about six miles per hour slower, diving before it reaches home plate.

Paul Skenes will be joined on the National League All-Star team by his Pirates teammate, outfielder Bryan Reynolds. They are the only two players from the Pirates selected for the All-Star team.

The Philadelphia Phillies lead the National League All-Star selections with four pitchers, including lefthanders Ranger Suarez and Matt Strahm, and righthanders Zack Wheeler and Jeff Hoffman.

Other National League pitchers honored 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.