Joyful: Paul Skenes surprises his girlfriend Livvy Dunne after learning Pirates rookie made MLB All-Star team
Olivia “Livvy” Dunne was overjoyed to learn that her boyfriend, Pittsburgh Pirates rookie phenom Paul Skenes, made the NL All-Star team after just 10 starts in his major league career.
Dunne planned a small celebration with pizza and champagne to surprise Skenes after the news broke on Sunday, as MLB announced the complete rosters for the All-Star Game, set to be held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on July 16.
The LSU gymnast shared multiple posts on social media about Skenes’ All-Star selection, highlighting the historic nature of his achievement as the first player to be selected No. 1 overall and then receive All-Star honors the following year.
Initially, Dunne shared MLB’s announcement of Skenes’ selection, captioning it, “he’s an ALL STAR!” She later revealed a surprise for Skenes on Instagram, showing gold letter balloons spelling out “ALL STAR” along with pizza and champagne on the kitchen counter. In a TikTok video, Dunne, dressed in a long black dress, showcased the surprise she had prepared.
When Skenes arrived home, he was all smiles upon seeing Dunne’s thoughtful celebration. They hugged in the kitchen, marking another milestone in Skenes’ remarkable start to his baseball career.
Skenes, 22, made his MLB debut on May 11 this season against the Chicago Cubs, striking out seven hitters over four innings. Since then, he has become one of the best pitchers in baseball, posting a 2.12 ERA over 10 starts, with a triple-digit fastball and devastating breaking pitches. Skenes has struck out 78 hitters while walking just 12 over 59.1 innings.
“You definitely can’t expect it,” Skenes said of his All-Star Game selection, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I think it’s just a product of being present and doing the work that it takes. The expectation was to win the national championship when we were there, and that was our main goal.
“But in terms of getting drafted first overall, getting called up when I did, and now the All-Star game, there were no expectations for me. It’s about doing as much as I can and allowing others to make the decision for me.”