- Skenes’ MLB debut comes less than a year after the Pirates drafted him
- Dunne will watch the highly anticipated start live from PNC Park
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Olivia Dunne and her Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher friend arrived in the Steel City on Saturday for his Major League Baseball debut against the Chicago Cubs.
Skenes is the best pitcher in baseball and will make his professional debut while being viewed as a franchise game changer for the Pirates, who haven’t made a championship run since 1979.
Skenes was the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s MLB Draft and has been part of the Pirates minor league system since wowing scouts.
In 2024, he was with Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate, where the Indianapolis Indians continued his rise until Saturday’s big league extravaganza.
Dunne and Skenes have been dating since last summer after months of rumors about their romance. The couple confirmed their relationship on social media.
Dunne posted on Instagram to let Pirates fans know that she and Skenes had arrived in Pittsburgh
Skenes is considered one of the best pitchers in baseball in recent years
The Pirates started the season 11-8, but have since fallen to 17-21 heading into Friday’s game against Chicago. The franchise is turning to Skenes to breathe new life into what could be another mediocre season for Pittsburgh.
Skenes’ status as a game-changer for Pittsburgh stems from the statistic that no starting pitcher in league history has thrown as fast as him during stints for so long.
During a recent start against the St. Paul Saints, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, Skenes threw 34 pitches of 100 miles per hour or more in 3.1 innings of work.
Skenes is rated as the No. 3 prospect in baseball, two spots ahead of Texas Rangers star Wyatt Langford, who has played an integral role for the defending World Series champions.
Dunne will likely find a spot in a luxury box above PNC Park for the Saturday afternoon game.
Skenes met Dunne when they were athletes at LSU before he was drafted by the Pirates
Skenes signed a $9.2 million bonus when he joined the Pirates, with Dunne being the highest-earning female collegiate athlete due to NIL deals.
Dunne still has not publicly stated whether she will use her final year of eligibility at LSU, issued by the NCAA because the Instagram and TikTok star was on Tiger Gymnastics’ roster at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Skenes’ big league call-up will certainly play a part in that decision, with Dunne likely looking to travel to as many of his starts as possible.
Dunne could easily stay at LSU for another year, as most of the college gymnastics year does not overlap with the Major League Baseball season.