Paul Skenes has become a focal point not only for his dominant pitching but also for an unexpected controversy sparked by his girlfriend, Olivia Dunne after her playful nickname for the Pittsburgh Pirates star.
Skenes, standing an imposing 6-foot-7, is enjoying another impressive season on the mound following a strong performance against the Cincinnati Reds as he emerges as a clear CY Young award contender.
And his gymnastics-based girlfriend, Dunne reposted a clip highlighting his towering presence, in which she labelled him “Mason 67 all grown up,” referring to his height by invoking the two-word phrase Mason 67.
“He’s 6’7 btw #baseball #67 #mlb. Mason. Mason 67 all grown…,” Dunne continued in the caption but it managed to spark controversy with fans, who quickly flooded the comments with mixed reactions.
One fan wrote, “Don’t disrespect Paul like that he’s not a 67.”
Whilst a second said, “Paul Skenes wouldn’t get a hit vs Mason 67 guys.”
And a third coldly commented, “Shut the f**k up.”
Some fans did back the nickname given by the LSU Tigers’ gymnastics national champion, but the controversy underscores the passionate nature of baseball fans when it comes to their heroes.
Is Paul Skenes having the best season in baseball history?
There is no question that Skenes is a dominating force on the mount as he continues to impress onlookers in Major League Baseball after bursting onto the scene after going first overall in the 2024 Draft.
The National League Rookie of the Year shows remarkable consistency and is already a two-time All-Star, but he’s really stepped up his efforts in 2025 as he posts an earned run average (ERA) of 1.95, a walk plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) of 0.939, and a strikeouts-per-nine-innings rate of 10.8.
These figures combine for a WHERIP, a composite statistic assessing pitcher dominance, of 1.156 – this remarkable stat places him among the elite pitchers, even when compared to historic greats, but is he the best ever?
Other pitching titans such as Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, and Sandy Koufax posted two-season WHERIPs lower than Skenes‘, but none began their careers with consecutive seasons as dominant as the Pirates ace.
While Skenes may not yet hold the best two-year stretch in MLB history overall, he is arguably on track to deliver the finest consecutive seasons at the very start of a career.
Is he producing the best baseball season ever behind the mound? Even if he is, there will be no trip to the World Series as the Pirates languish in last place in the National League Central.
With a .429 record and just 51 wins on the board, they are nine games behind the fourth-placed St. Louis Cardinals, and a distant 23 games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.
There will be no postseason appearance for Skenes in 2024 without a ridiculous turnaround of fortunes, one that would mirror the 2002 Oakland Athletics who won 20 straight games.
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