Pirates manager recalls first encounter with Olivia Dunne and her family

Ever since Paul Skenes made his debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates, social media star Olivia Dunne has been a regular presence in the PNC Park suites. Dunne and Skenes, who have been dating for the past two years, both represented LSU in college sports.

While Livvy is in the midst of her fifth and final year at LSU, Skenes won the College World Series in 2023 before being picked first overall in the MLB draft. After making his debut in May against the Chicago Cubs, Skenes went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA to win the NL Rookie of the Year award.

On Monday, Pirates manager Derek Shelton appeared on Chris Rose Rotation podcast, where the host asked if he has met Skenes' girlfriend:

"I did — I did meet Livvy," Shelton said (10:50 onwards). "I met her once. My wife and I met her once during the season in Milwaukee. They came through, and we were in the restaurant with a bunch of my coaches. Then, we were just at the baseball awards dinner in New York and was fortunate to be able to be with her, her parents, and Paul’s parents.

"Yeah, so it was, you know, a really nice conversation with Livvy’s parents and Paul’s parents."

Derek Shelton highlights what makes Paul Skenes stand out from others

Apart from talking about Olivia Dunne, Derek Shelton also shed light on his young pitcher who is coming off an impressive season. He highlighted Skenes' pitching arsenal and his ability to pitch strikes when needed:

"Yeah, I think the biggest thing you appreciate is the weapons," Shelton added (5:20 onwards). "I mean, he has so many weapons, and he's able to deploy them in different ways. One of the things that really stood out last year was when we were in Chicago, and he just decided to throw the changeup one day. You know, it wasn’t the sinker, it wasn’t the four-seamer, it wasn’t the breaking ball."

"And I looked at our pitching coach, and I’m like, ‘What? The changeup?’ And he's like, ‘Yeah, he's—you know, he's just got different weapons to attack different guys.’ Talking to him the next day, I was like, ‘What’d you think?’ And he goes, ‘I thought I’d use my changeup today because it’s pretty good.’ Okay, yeah. And the confidence to be able to throw strikes is something that really stands out."

Although Paul Skenes delivered an impressive performance, the Pirates were far from competitive in 2024. With a star ace like Skenes, they need to start building a roster around him to maximize his his impact and make the most of his time with the organization.