$3.5 million NIL-valued Olivia Dunne backs BF Paul Skenes as Pittsburgh star declares it's "time to compete" 

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was recently backed on Instagram by his famous girlfriend, the $3.5 million NIL-valued Olivia Dunne, according to On3, after declaring that it's "time to compete" on his Instagram account.

Olivia Dunne's Instagram

Olivia Dunne helps Paul Skenes

During an interview with USA Today, Paul Skenes said that while he is not a big social media user, his girlfriend, Olivia Dunne, does not get distracted by the pitfalls of various platforms and has helped him deal with that aspect of stardom.

“It helps, for sure,” he said. “I don’t play this game for any of that. I play this game to win. The other stuff kind of comes along with that, and it’s something we all have to navigate.

“She’s definitely helped me with that. It’s not something you seek out. She’s been a good resource for me, and she’s great.”

Paul Skenes' rapidly changing life

Paul Skenes won the Most Outstanding Player during the College World Series against the Florida Gators before being picked No. 1 ahead of his teammate Dylan Crew during the 2023 MLB draft.

He also got the biggest signing bonus in Major League history ($9.2 million) because he was the No. 1 pick.

While speaking to USA Today, Skenes' former pitching coach Wes Johnson explained how rapidly the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher's life has changed in two short years (after transferring from the Air Force Academy).

“It means you constantly have to evaluate your new normal,” Johnson said. “Each time I’d see him I’d say, ‘Paul, your normal is changing.’ He was big in Baton Rouge and still is, and we had to adjust his distractions and his normal there.

“Then he becomes 1/1, and now he has a whole new set of normal. And then you go into your first big league camp, and it’s another new normal. But being able to pull back and look at that is what Paul’s really good at.”

With Paul Skenes yet to make his debut, Pirates manager Derek Shelton explained the team's expectations for the pitcher.

“We let him continue to grow at his pace,” Shelton said. “That’s the most important thing. The fact that he’s 1/1 highlights it, but we just need him to continue to get better, to learn the professional game. A big part of development is just being a professional player.”

Paul Skenes said that he doesn't see himself as the savior of the team just because he was the No. 1 pick of the 2023 MLB draft.

“It’s nice to have one good player, but we have a lot,” Skenes said. “I’m not in the big leagues yet, but it doesn’t fall on my shoulders or Henry’s or Quinn’s or anybody’s. It’s a team thing. We’re going to win as a team.”

With a famous girlfriend like Olivia Dunne and still yet to make his MLB debut, Paul Skenes' life is bound to continue changing.