Paul Skenes and Olivia Dunne are the projection of a power couple. Both of them have been supporting each other in their respective sporting adventures since they fell in love and started a relationship. Recently, the gymnast was seen celebrating her boyfriend’s new career milestone, which was him winning the Rookie of the Year award for his epic performance in the MLB.

Surely, there are big accolades that Skenes has achieved in his rookie season of baseball, but he’s not ignoring the ups and downs he faced in life. He was a rookie, but he was dedicated to the sport and also faced a lot of distractions throughout the year. However, keeping those distractions away and focusing on his goals made him the popular pitcher he is now, playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he has shared his secret about that.

Keeping his mind clean

Back in 2023, Olivia Dunne’s boyfriend Paul Skenes was a No. 1 overall pick in the draft, shocking many out there. However, there were a ton of questions and doubts about him too, as he was about to start his rookie season for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2024 season. The moment he touched the field on May 11 against the Chicago Cubs for his debut, Skenes immediately turned many heads with his epic performance.

Since then, the MLB rookie never looked back and kept on improving, eventually becoming one of the most demanding pitchers in the baseball scene and also winning the Rookie of the Year award. Owing to accolades, he starred in an interview, especially a Q&A session with the MLB itself, and revealed his insights on the award and his ambitions heading towards the 2025 season, while also keeping his girlfriend Dunne by his side.

The hosts of the show also remarked on his “level-headed” nature despite the challenges he has faced and posed a question about how these accolades don’t impact his personality. Skenes answered this query, stating, “That’s how I’ve always been. Everything stems from the game and circles back to playing the game. That’s the only thing that matters. Because if you don’t execute and you don’t compete, then all that other stuff goes away. I appreciate them, but the awards are not why I play the game.”

It’s just not about his professional MLB career, but Skenes has kept such a mentality throughout his life. Whether it’s about the sport or not, the 22-year-old has been a very down-to-earth person. Surely, he doesn’t mind celebrating his or any other person’s achievements, but he is more focused on carrying out success in the future at a similar or greater pace. In the MLB scene, Skenes has a strong presence now, so he stresses the need to concentrate on his matches, as he wants to be a better and more polished version of himself.

Furthermore, he clarified that even if receiving awards like this is a nice feeling, his primary goals don’t end there, as he has much more to look forward to being a professional baseball pitcher. His 2024 season was surely fantastic considering his first year in the MLB, but he is looking into a much brighter future in his career while having the supportive Dunne by his side. Skenes’ girlfriend during the celebrations also mentioned one of her own favorite moments from her boyfriend’s rookie season.

Olivia Dunne’s favorite moment of Paul Skenes

Being a supportive girlfriend, Olivia Dunne has never missed a single chance to see Skenes’ MLB game, unless there’s something she is already busy with. However, the gymnast’s favorite moment from her boyfriend’s rookie career was his debut game, which she wasn’t able to attend. Furthermore, Dunne recalled the match, stating, “My favorite moment was when he pitched for the first time at Wrigley Field. I wasn’t there, but I was screaming on my phone, jumping up and down. I was so excited. He did amazing. It was like watching a unicorn. Like watching a fairytale.”

Many emotions were flowing inside the gymnast while his boyfriend was pitching against the Chicago Cubs at their home ground. She is just taken aback, as she has watched him get into the draft and make it to one of the popular franchises of the league, owing to his dedication and years of hard work in baseball. Dunne was proud of him, and she wasn’t going to let any single major moment slide by, as she was there with him to celebrate it.