Pittsburgh Pirates player Paul Skenes received his inaugural invite to the MLB All-Star Game, set for the upcoming week in Arlington, Texas, and his partner Olivia Dunne marked this achievement in a remarkable way once the news came out.
“You definitely can’t expect it,” Skenes expressed.
“I think it’s just a product of being present and doing the work that it takes, that kind of thing. The expectation was definitely to win the national championship when we were there. That was the only thing that we wanted to do.
“But in terms of getting drafted first overall, getting called up whenever I was called up, and now the All-Star game, there were no expectations for me. It’s kind of just about doing as much as I can and allowing others to make the decision for me. And so it’s been a lot that’s happened over the course of a year. It hasn’t necessarily been a whirlwind or anything like that, but looking back, it’s gone quick.”
Dunne’s surprise
Dunne shared the MLB’s announcement of Skenes’ All-Star selection on social media with the caption, “he’s an ALL STAR!”
On Instagram, she posted stories showing festive balloons spelling out “ALL STAR,” along with a selection of pizza and champagne.
Furthermore, Olivia Dunne presented a TikTok video where she, dressed elegantly in a long black dress, showed viewers a glimpse behind the scenes of her preparations. The video exhibited her setting up the balloons and pizza to surprise Skenes upon his return from a 3-2 loss to the Mets.
The video ended with the moment Skenes walked into their apartment, smiling at the celebratory arrangement and Dunne‘s enthusiasm.
“Surprising my bf after finding out he’s an MLB All Star,” she captioned the video.
With this All-Star selection, Skenes made history by being the first player drafted No. 1 overall to reach the All-Star Game in the subsequent season.