Paul Skenes, Boyfriend of Olivia Dunne, Dominated in His Triple-A Debut, Giving Us a Look at the Greatness to Come

Jamie Schwaberow. Getty Images.

Throughout the history of civilization, there have been young people who grew up in the public eye, who were destined from birth to seize the reigns of power and leave their indelible mark upon the world. Towering figures whom their people watched mature with great anticipation, waiting for the day they would inevitably rule. Alexander. Xerxes. Kubla Khan. Miley Cyrus. 

And to that mighty list we can add former LSU National Champion and Pittsburgh Pirates No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes. 

When he made his professional debut last August:

… the 6-foot-6 cannon-armed righty posted this line for the Pirates Single-A affiliate, the Bradenton Marauders:

• Innings: 1
• Strikeouts: 2
• Pitches: 16
• Strikes: 10

As impressive as that was outing was, it served merely as a first course to the Michelin star banquet he's prepared to serve MLB in the years to come. And didn't hold a flickering candle to what he did in his first Triple-A game:

NY Post - Paul Skenes was perfect in his Triple-A debut.

MLB’s top pitching prospect struck out five over three scoreless innings Saturday for Indianapolis, the highest affiliate in the Pirates’ minor league system. 

He threw 29 of 46 pitches for strikes, including generating 12 whiffs in a short start.

That performance should give his girlfriend — LSU gymnast, influencer and Sport Illustrated swimsuit model Olivia Dunne — plenty to celebrate when she is next on her widely followed social-media accounts. 

Oh right. He's dating Livvy Dunne. I'd almost neglect to mention that fact. Maybe because I'm just so invested in watching this young man come into his own it slipped my mind. Or perhaps I didn't want to be accused of using it as a cynical excuse to clumsily shoehorn her Instagram posts into what is meant only to be an early April baseball blog. But since the NY Post brought her up, I have a professional obligation to give the readers what they want.

And just to bring it back to the subject at hand:

So yeah, Gaux Tigers, and all that. 

From whom so much is given, great things are expected. And Skenes is delivering on all that promise, both on the mound and off. Continuing his relentless pursuit of conquering the world. Here's what I said last summer when he arrived in Single-A:

Long before "The World is Not Enough" became a 007 movie where Denise Richards played a nuclear scientist named Dr. Christmas Jones (the '90s were a magical time), that sentiment was expressed by a 15th century Baronet named Sir Thomas Bond, whom Ian Fleming loosely based his character on. In fact, the Latin translation Orbis non-sufficit was revealed to be on 007's family coat of arms in the first novel. …

And it seems no one personifies Orbis non-sufficit like Paul Skenes. Because not only has he pulled off the No. 1 Pick/Livvy Dunne Daily Double that most of us thought was unachievable by any mortal man.

And the kicker is, Skenes doesn't even turn 22 for another couple of months. Meaning he's barely even begun to harness his power. He's still just a Jedi Padawan. A first-year Hogwart's student. And already doing better than virtually all other men. He's pitching a perfect game, on the diamond and in life. More power to him.