Paul Skenes has rapidly become one of Major League Baseball’s most talked-about players, and his girlfriend, Olivia Dunne, recently highlighted just how intense fan attention has become on the Pittsburgh Pirates star as she fires back at online noise.
Dunne, who is a social media personality with millions of followers, shared a glimpse of the unusual comments she has been receiving about her boyfriend, posting a range of reactions that feature memes, GIFs, and other content centered around Skenes.
“Yall are obsessed for you,” Dunne wrote, drawing attention to the fervor of Skenes‘ fanbase, although it wasn’t particularly phrased in a bad way by the 22-year-old national gymnastics champion.
Skenes, who was selected first overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, made his debut with the Pirates against the Chicago Cubs last May and in his rookie season, he earned the National League Rookie of the Year award and was a Cy Young finalist.
His rapid ascent has made him a standout talent in MLB, and he is already positioning himself as a contender for the Cy Young again this season, and he has credited Dunne with helping him navigate the pressures of sudden fame.
“She’s been dealing with all the notoriety and all that longer than I have,” Skenes said to GQ. “I view it as, it’s not my job to take pictures with these people.
“It’s my job to throw, and them wanting to take pictures is getting in the way of that.
“But she always handles everything very well. She’s very comfortable to be around for other people who come up and ask to talk, that kind of thing.”
Could Paul Skenes be traded to the Boston Red Sox?
Beyond social media buzz, Skenes has also become a central figure in trade speculation as he seems destined to leave a tight-fisted Pirates franchise, and a former MLB general manager floated a hypothetical deal sending him to the Boston Red Sox.
The Pirates, currently 21-37 ahead of Saturday, August 16’s game against the San Diego Padres, have dismissed any immediate trade plans. Still, Jim Bowden proposed a package with Ramon Anthony plus Franklin Arias, Romy Gonzales, and Luis Perales.
“To start the package, the Red Sox could offer Anthony,” Bowden said. “The top position-player prospect in baseball, whom the Pirates could promote to the majors immediately.
“They’d also improve their longer-term future by acquiring a middle infielder in Arias, a power bat in Gonzales and a power arm in Perales. Meanwhile, for Boston, a rotation led by Skenes and Garrett Crochet would be a game-changer.”
The Red Sox boast a potent offense with Alex Bregman, Rafael Devers, and Jarren Duran, but their pitching is thin behind ace Garrett Crochet so adding Skenes, who like Crochet has an ERA under 2.20 and is a Cy Young finalist, would create one of the league’s most dominant young duos.
While a trade could give Skenes a platform on a contender and the Pirates elite prospects, for now it remains speculation, fueling both his on-field buzz and the social media obsession Dunne recently highlighted.
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