Paul Skenes and Olivia Dunne have quickly become one of MLB’s power couples. While MLB cannot get over Skenes turning into the much-awaited Gen Z superstar for the league, the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick’s love life has been under the spotlight for quite a while now. And of course, that leads us to comparisons between other such high-profile couples!

For example, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.

A few analysts noted that Dunne’s fame has contributed to Skenes’ global recognition. Is that so? Their appearances together at major events like the Super Bowl have been widely covered, with fans and media alike celebrating their status as a modern sports power couple. MLB is just leveraging this newfound treasure! 

In an interview with Esquire’s Brady Langmann, Skenes was asked about the ‘Travis and Taylor-ification’ of his relationship with Livvy Dunne. To which Paul Skenes responded, “Yes, MLB is trying to market us as that. They’re trying to appeal to a different generation of fans, which is benefiting us because it’s giving her another subset that’s going to be her fans. And they’re helping me because they’re marketing me.”

The Paul Skenes-Olivia Dunne saga is offering MLB to promote the sport with more glitz. And that’s conveying the emotion of baseball, not just being about statistics and gameplay. MLB doesn’t want the younger fans to think so!

MLB’s marketing strategy effectively leverages the public interest in Skenes and Dunne’s relationship to enhance the league’s appeal, particularly among younger and digitally involved audiences. Their partnership exemplifies how personal connections between athletes can be utilized to create compelling narratives that resonate with fans and elevate the sport’s cultural relevance.

And there’s a reason behind Skenes-Dunne being the talk of the town. Apparently, he shares everything with his girlfriend. Don’t believe us? Well, then read this…

As pointed out by Paul Skenes, he enjoys the sense of overstimulation. He actually enjoyed not having a proper offseason with so many engagements – business trips, meeting Kevin Costner at the Super Bowl, a wedding – no time to relax. And well, he shared with Olivia how he loved this pace, to which she reacted, “That’s really sad.”

That’s their understanding!

And such an off-field persona of Skenes perfectly complements his on-field performance. What he has achieved since his debut is second to none. For starters, Paul Skenes’ fastballs are filthy — and what makes them unique goes beyond just the radar gun. Recently, he’s started mixing in a two-seamer/sinker, too — adding a run and keeping hitters honest inside. So now you’ve got to cover vertical and horizontal movement, all at elite velocity.

But did you know Paul Skenes held a different kind of dream back in the day?

Surpirse, surprise: Skenes was all but a pitcher

Well, before Skenes was the fireballing ace we know now, he was a standout at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where his dream wasn’t just to make it to the big leagues — it was to serve his country. Skenes enrolled in the Air Force to become an officer after graduation. However, his 100 mph+ fastballs were too good not to let him opt for MLB. “I was thinking, I’m just gonna go play four years of baseball, and then I’m gonna go fly jets and do bad things to bad people,” Skenes shared.

And even during his time with the Air Force, Skenes was more than a devastating pitcher. What if we say that Skenes could have been the next Shohei Ohtani?

Yep — Paul Skenes wasn’t just a dominant pitcher at the start of his college career. He was a two-way player at Air Force, and a pretty good hitter too. In 2022, he got 13 homers and 38 RBIs to his name. It was only after he transferred to LSU for the 2023 season that he dropped hitting to focus entirely on pitching — and we all know how that turned out: 2023 Golden Spikes Award winner, College World Series champion, and the No. 1 overall MLB Draft pick.

But his knack for sports was always there. As put by his head baseball coach, Mike Gonzales, at El Toro High School, they used to dress up as the Bad News Bears during the El Toro team’s locally famous Halloween game. And can you guess the role Skenes used to take up? Drunk coach, visiting the mound in a stumbling manner.

That’s the real Paul Skenes that still lives within. He might not be as evident as fans think. A suave star in his Gucci and Polo Ralph Lauren!

He is a more laid-back guy who even loves to give up shaving. “I just got lazy. Stopped shaving my face.“ And one thing that he believes to his core, along with Livvy: “Stay present.”

Guess that’s what the duo is up for right now! Doesn’t just make them the most interesting power couple, but also an inspiring one!