Paul Skenes reveals how girlfriend Olivia Dunne has helped him deal with pressure ahead of his MLB debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates TODAY

Paul Skenes, the top pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, talked about how his girlfriend – Livvy Dunne – helped him ahead of his first Major League start.

Skenes is one of the most hyped pitchers in recent years, which obviously comes with a lot of pressure.

Speaking to MLB Network, Skenes said Dunne has helped him immensely when it comes to dealing with that pressure.

“It’s been great, she’s helped me in a lot of ways with how to manage all the hype, I think, and how to manage everything that goes into the life of a professional athlete, because she’s kind of lived it. So it was great,” Skenes said.

Just last month, Dunne was able to accomplish something Skenes did while at LSU: win a national championship.

Skenes says his girlfriend, Livvy Dunne, helped him cope with the pressure of the moment

Skenes was phenomenal at the minor league level with a 0.99 ERA over seven starts

Dunne was part of the title-winning Tigers team that took home the school’s first-ever all-around national championship.

Skenes was able to do the same in 2023, taking home the College World Series Most Outstanding Player award.

Since being drafted by the Pirates, Skenes has dominated and that’s especially true in the minor leagues this year.

Skenes posted a 0.99 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 27 and one-third innings across seven starts while pitching for the Triple-A level Indianapolis Indians.

He’s about to get into a pitching battle with the Chicago Cubs’ Justin Steele, who has eight strikeouts and a 0.96 ERA across two starts.