Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes are redefining the sports power couple aura, becoming popular with the Gen Z followers for their funny and lighthearted social media antics. Only recently, Dunne was hilariously bugging Skenes at the BBWAA Awards. And now, she’s risking herself to help the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher improve his game. 

“How can you not be romantic about baseball 😂,” read the caption of a recently uploaded video by the official MLB account. 

In the clip, Dunne was fully kitted out in protective gear, acting as the hitter during Skenes’ bullpen session, as Skenes pitched to the catcher from the other end of the gym. Overlayed on the video were the words, “the ultimate test of trust 🤣.”

An errant ball whizzing at 90-95 mph on average can do some serious damage on a hit-by-pitch even to a seasoned hitter, much less an inexperienced one like Dunne.

Though Dunne stood a little away from the strike zone, it was still a very risky move from the former LSU gymnast. After all, in regular bullpen sessions, there’s no hitter present. 

Dunne even jokingly commented on the post, “I’m all over that back door sinker next at bat.” And for those who didn’t notice, Dunne was holding the viral pencil bat by Victus.

While Skenes’ fastballs average somewhere around 98 mph, the 23-year-old has high precision. Throughout his MLB career, Skenes has boasted a remarkably low WHIP of 0.92 along with a strikeout rate of 203+.

He also has an elite 1.94 career ERA. Surely, such an act from. However, despite the longevity of their relationship, the duo faced some fresh scrutiny about their relationship last year.

Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes spark fan backlash after awkward interview about their relationship

Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes have been ruling the headlines as a power couple since August 2023. The duo reportedly met while they attended LSU, where a mutual friend introduced them.

It was during June 2023 when relationship rumors first circulated after fans came across a TikTok post. Weeks later, the relationship was confirmed by Skenes himself.

At the end of 2025, the couple sat for an interview with GQ Sports. The two discussed how well they knew each other, but many of Skenes’ answers didn’t sit well with fans, who even called him a ‘red flag.’

When Dunne asked Skenes whether he knew what her first job was, Skenes replied, “It’s got to be influencer, right? Or gymnast?” Dunne immediately replied with a “no.”

And when Skenes failed to answer, he asked, “Have you had a real job?” To this, Dunne shared, “I was a coach.”

Adding to that, Dunne failed to answer questions about Skenes, incorrectly naming his baseball hero. She answered Mike Trout and added how she knows that Skenes admires Trout.

While Skenes acknowledged the fact that he indeed does admire Trout, he added that he doesn’t have a baseball hero. The interview didn’t go down well with fans who felt like they were watching two strangers rather than a couple in love.