Olivia Dunne’s always there to hail her boyfriend, Paul Skenes’ wins with the loudest cheers. So how could she hold back this time, when he’s touched such a massive benchmark in the MLB? For those who aren’t aware, say hello to Skenes, who has made a name for himself as the 2024 National League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year! The Pittsburgh pitcher Paul Skenes went from MLB debut in May to the top of the league, snagging the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year Award. In a stacked NL rookie class, Skenes’ historic season outshined Padres’ clutch hitter Jackson Merrill and Brewers’ breakout star Jackson Chourio. But that’s not all!

The 22-year-old Pirates ace didn’t just meet the sky-high expectations after being picked first overall in the 2023 Draft—he shattered them, going 11-3 with a dazzling 1.96 ERA over 23 starts. Oh, and he casually set a Pirates rookie record with 170 strikeouts. The celebration? Next-level. Not just LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, but even her mom, Kat Dunne, was over the moon about his win—and the internet noticed. Cue all the gushing, with just a pinch of that good ol’ awkward charm.

Olivia and Kat Dunne jump in to congratulate Paul

As seen on her Instagram, Livvy’s mother, Kat Dunne stepped ahead to publically applaud Skenes for his incredible feat. Shortly after the news of his win came in, Kat added the congratulatory post uploaded by the Pirates’ official account to her story and penned a “Congratulations @paulskenes!!” note with it.

Well, Olivia Dunne is not one to fall behind either. Congratulations were in order from her end as well, as she added the post by MLB to her Instagram story with a three-word caption that screamed with excitement, “Oh my goodnesssss❤️” Livvy even commented below the official MLB post, saying that the win was “well deserved💛.”

She was clearly ecstatic for her boyfriend and her happiness was palpable. However, Livvy also added a fun twist, as the next capture on her stories showed Skenes posing with a giant cake decorated with a baseball and icing that read, “Rookie & A Cookie, Congrats ROY!” 

In fact, when the award was being announced over the MLB network, Olivia Dunne was seated right next to Skenes on the couch, where she was the first to react and hug him after the news. But, amid this, a slightly awkward moment between the two was caught on camera.

Olivia and Paul seal the win with a kiss

The moment Cal Ripkin Jr. officially announced Paul Skenes as the NL Rookie of the Year, Olivia Dunne’s face instantly lit up with a bright smile. She clapped and let out a shout, before she shook Paul by his shoulder, while he sat rather poised and calm with just a slight grin on his face. But here’s when things got a bit awkward.

Livvy kept her hand over his shoulder and the Pirates’ star instantly went in for a hug. But before that, the two went in for a kiss, however, they were clearly on different pages. There seemed a momentary hitch if the kiss was supposed to be on the lips or the cheek. But, Olivia handled it well, turning her right cheek towards him, as he gave her a quick peck before he went in to hug her and kissed her on the shoulder.

Nonetheless, this minor hiccup hardly takes away from Paul Skenes’ incredible achievement. He truly stole the show, ending his season run with 170 strikeouts and an 11-3 record in 23 starts. Do you think he’s an asset for the Pittsburgh Pirates and can end up ranking among the MLB elites in the future? Let us know below!