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Paul Skenes was thrust into an MLB starter's role this season. As the top pitching prospect in baseball, all eyes were on him and they've remained there after a brilliant start. Skenes continuously grows in popularity and he has his famous girlfriend, Olivia Dunne, to help him handle all the hype he is getting.
The Pittsburgh Pirates star said via MLB Network that she has been helpful in his growth:
“It's been great. She's helped me in a lot of ways in terms of managing all the hype … How to manage everything that goes around being a pro athlete, [because] she's kinda lived it.”
Apart from being a popular face on social media, Dunne won the NCAA gymnastics title with the LSU Tigers in April. She boasts $3.9 million in earnings from NIL deals, as per On3.
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There's a difference between being a college baseball star like Skenes was at LSU this time last year (winning the College World Series as well) and being a top prospect in a farm system.
There's also a big difference between being that top prospect and performing every five days for an MLB team with tons of fans watching, which Skenes is doing now.
Through it all, Dunne has helped him master the transitions and handle all the hype surrounding one of the most heralded young pitchers baseball has seen in some time.
Paul Skenes morphed into an MLB star, a betting favorite for Rookie of the Year
Paul Skenes' first start in the MLB was decent. He topped 100 miles per hour plenty and racked up seven strikeouts, but allowed three runs as well. Since then, he's been nothing short of dominant.
He remains undefeated with a 4-0 record. His ERA has dropped to an impressive 2.29. His WHIP is 0.99, and both of those would be among league leaders if he qualified. He already has 53 strikeouts in just 39.1 innings.
More so, according to Fox Sports, Paul Skenes is favored to win NL Rookie of the Year this season.
