A new era entered Pittsburgh on Saturday, and it wasn't just Paul Skenes who made an excellent debut for the Pirates.
His girlfriend, social media sensation and LSU gymnast Olivia “Livvy” Dunne, also entered her “WAG era,” which stands for “wives and girlfriends.”
MLB promoted Dunne's arrival at PNC Park on Saturday as much as Skenes did with a post on the league's TikTok page, showing Dunne's excitement over her boyfriend's debut in an interview with SportsNet Pittsburgh.
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LSU gymnast Olivia Dunn is shown on the field after her boyfriend, Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes, made his major league debut against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on May 11. May 2024. The Pirates won 10-8. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
MLB captioned the post: “Livvy Dunne entering her MLB WAG era.”
“I always say it's a lot harder to be the person in the stands watching because I'm not in control,” Dunne said in the post. “I can't control it, I don't know how to throw a 100-mile (per hour) fastball, but it's hard not to have control. Especially with gymnastics when you're just watching. But I know he's got this and I just have a lot of confidence in him. “.
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The sports world saw what the NFL did to pop star Taylor Swift when her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs superstar tight end Travis Kelce became public. And while Dunne's popularity isn't even close to Swift's, MLB could be taking a page from the NFL's book and reaching out to a new demographic.
Dunne, who is coming off an NCAA national championship with the LSU gymnastics team, is one of the nation's highest-paid NIL athletes in college sports. He has over 13.3 million followers across TikTok, Instagram and Twitter, and everyone has been watching his pages closely to see if there was any indication that Skenes was called out.
Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's MLB Draft out of LSU, has been dominating Triple-A Indianapolis through his first seven starts this season. Because of that, Pirates fans were clamoring for the board to make the decision to take him to the big leagues.
Olivia Dunne watches as her boyfriend, Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates, makes his Major League debut during the game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on May 11, 2024. (Justin Berl/Getty Images)
The call was finally made last week, and Dunne revealed that they had just woken up from a nap and received missed calls from the Pirates saying he needed to pack his things and head to Pittsburgh.
Skenes' long-awaited debut certainly made more than Dunne nervous as Pirates fans packed PNC Park to watch him face the Chicago Cubs. He did not disappoint, striking out his first two batters with a fastball that peaked at 102 mph that day. Skenes would hit 100 mph with his heater 17 times total during the four innings he pitched.
“I have so many incredible memories with him, but I know how hard he has worked to get to this moment,” Dunne said in the interview. “Seriously, there's nothing that can top this. I'm so proud.”
Paul Skenes and Olivia Dunn are shown after he made his major league debut on May 11, 2024. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
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As long as Skenes remains in the MLB, Dunne will be there supporting him. So, don't be surprised to see more Dunne content on the league's social media channels on the way.
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