Olivia Dunne made her message clear at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday: Paul Skenes was on her mind, even if he wasn’t on the mound.
Dunne showed up in the Bronx for the Pirates’ doubleheader against the Yankees wearing a black top, denim shorts and black boots that carried Skenes’ name and No. 30. She posted several photos from inside the ballpark, including a close-up of the customized footwear that put her boyfriend front and center.
The appearance was the latest public nod to Skenes from Dunne, who has spent the 2026 season traveling to watch him pitch. But this one landed differently because of where it happened. The New York Post reported that Dunne had been looking at a New York City apartment once owned by Yankees legend Babe Ruth, and that was enough to send fans down a familiar rabbit hole about whether there was any hidden meaning tied to Skenes’ future.
Skenes has already waved that off.
“That’s probably reading a little deeper into it than what is true,” Skenes said, according to The Spun. “If you’re a baseball fan, you’re probably a Babe Ruth fan.”
The timing only added to the noise. Dunne’s Yankees visit came just one week after she and Skenes drew plenty of attention at the MLB All-Star Game, where they posed together on the red carpet. The two have become one of baseball’s most recognizable couples, and their story has followed a familiar path: they met at LSU, where Dunne competed for the gymnastics program and Skenes helped lead the Tigers to the 2023 College World Series championship.
From there, Skenes went No. 1 overall to Pittsburgh in the 2023 MLB Draft and quickly turned himself into one of the sport’s biggest names. He entered Wednesday with a 9-8 record, a 3.43 ERA and 138 strikeouts this season. He is also a three-time All-Star and the reigning Cy Young Award winner.
As for the Yankees chatter, there’s not much substance behind it. Pittsburgh controls Skenes’ contractual rights through the 2029 season, and the Pirates have no obvious reason to move a young ace who has already become the face of the franchise. Still, the Yankees are the Yankees, which means they’re always going to get dragged into conversations about baseball’s biggest stars, especially when a small-market team is involved.
For now, though, the clearest takeaway came from Dunne’s outfit. She walked into Yankee Stadium wearing boots that shouted out Pittsburgh’s ace. Whatever fans want to imagine about pinstripes and future possibilities, her choice made the present pretty obvious: she’s backing No. 30, and Skenes is still a Pirate.
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