Paul Skenes & Partner Olivia Dunne’s Lowkey Super Bowl Appearance Meets MLB Community’s Disapproval

Paul Skenes is living the dream. The Pirates’ young ace is no stranger to attention, whether it’s for his electric fastball or his high-profile relationship with LSU star Olivia Dunne. Yet, his latest appearance at the Super Bowl has left some fans frustrated. MLB’s official X account posted a clip of Skenes and Dunne enjoying the big game, which left many wondering—why is a rookie getting so much media coverage?

Paul Skenes was in discussion for his contract a few days ago. He was expecting a long-term contract but ultimately ended up with one more year with the Pirates. Now that discussion is gone and again his personal life got into the limelight. Well, Skenes has started his major league debut with a bang and showing potential for the future, but the fans are disappointed in him for getting distracted! So what is making Skenes get so much limelight off late?

The numbers are all on Paul Skenes’ side. He made his major league debut last year for the Pirates and ended 2024 with a 1.96 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 170 strikeouts and 32 walks in 133 innings. This performance made him the National League Rookie of the Year. Moreover, Skenes is the #1 ranked rookie for the Pirates with more strikeouts, getting 170 SO last year! But while his stats are making headlines, so is his relationship with Dunne.

Since Paul Skenes announced his relationship with LSU Tigers’ Olivia Dunne, media attention is all on their personal lives. Olivia Dunne is also a social media influencer, having more than 10 million followers, and thus Skenes got enough followers and attention after associating with Dunne. For the unversed, Skenes’ birthday post for Dunne last year is one of the most liked Instagram posts for him! But is this growing attention a boost to his brand or a distraction from his on-field performance? That’s what the fans are worrying about and sharing their disappointments against them cozying up at the Super Bowl.

Skenes getting no approval from the fans

Not everyone is thrilled with how MLB is promoting Skenes’ personal life. Many fans were surprised—and even frustrated—to see the league’s official account posting about a rookie’s date night at the Super Bowl. MLB seems to be hyping the new rookies along with leveraging the millions of followers of these two.

Paul Skenes is at risk of getting distracted by what a fan thinks. This fan opined about how moving away from Skenes is the best option now as he is done and distracted. However, it is debatable if the #1 prospect in MLB should get a write-off like this. Skenes has been in a relationship since 2023 and still offered a banger performance last year. Let him cement his worth further this year!

A fan seems skeptical about Skenes’ potential to secure a better deal going forward. For the unversed, Skenes, after his 2024 banger, was expecting a multi-year and fatter paycheck from the Pirates, but that wasn’t the case, and he got to play for another year for $8 million. Moreover, considering how the Pirates are traditionally against offering long-term deals, it is likely that Skenes may not be resigned. At the end of the day, Skenes needs to make his pitch do all the talking.

But what really fueled the backlash was MLB seemingly playing favorites. Phillies slugger Alec Bohm and his girlfriend Jacque Darby were also at the Super Bowl, but MLB didn’t post about them. This has led some to believe the league is leveraging Dunne’s massive social media presence to boost engagement.

This post of Paul Skenes with Olivia Dunne is also facing the fans’ wrath due to promoting the NFL through the official handle of MLB. One such MLB enthusiast commented about why a different sport is getting promoted. However, MLB has partnered with various other sports in the past, like promoting English cricket and soccer stars. At this time of the Super Bowl, associating with the NFL can help generate maximum traffic for MLB.

It seems like Paul Skenes is gaining the wrong attention of late despite being a top-performing rookie. For now, though, all that matters is what he does on the mound. He’s just one great season away from a massive payday and proving to his critics that his focus is still exactly where it needs to be.

What do you think? Is Skenes getting overhyped because of Dunne, or is this just part of modern sports stardom? Drop your thoughts below!