Paul Skenes and Olivia Dunne are one of the biggest power couples in sports. Their fame has sparked a new theory about the Pittsburgh Pirates’ hesitance to call-up the No. 1 overall pick to the MLB.
This is entirely speculation. However, there may actually be some legitimacy to it.
Skenes, who continues to tear up the minor leagues, has thrown only 9.1 innings (not including spring training) this year. The Pirates are being very deliberate with how they build-up his workload. He is not yet stretched out enough to join the big league roster despite an opening in Pittsburgh’s rotation after an injury to Marco Gonzales.
With how dominant Paul Skenes has been, many people expected that he would be the obvious call. That is not the case. General manager Ben Cherington recently said that the organization does not want to “go from zero to 100 right away,” and will keep him on the AAA level for now.
The Pirates were not expected to be a legitimate contender in the NL Central this year. They were considered to be a few years away. And yet, though 19 games, they are in the mix.
If Pittsburgh can continue to contend over the next few weeks, adding Skenes to the lineup could be the missing piece for an actual playoff push. It just needs to hang around.
There is another element that might be at play here. Here is where I put on my tin foil hat.
The Pirates will want Dunne to attend her boyfriend’s first MLB start. The buzz around her being there will be massive. She is going to bring all kinds of additional press and positive PR.
Dunne is wrapping up her final season of collegiate gymnastics and has been unable to attend any of Skenes’ games over the last few months. That will change this weekend after the NCAA Championships.
Pittsburgh can continue to ramp up Skenes’ workload and ensure Dunne will be there whenever they give him the ball! It’s a win-win.