Paul Skenes reveals how his girlfriend Olivia Dunne helped him deal with pressure before his MLB debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates TODAY

Paul Skenes, the top pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, opened up about how his girlfriend – Livvy Dunne – helped him before his first major league start.

Skenes is one of the hottest pitchers in recent years – which obviously comes with a lot of pressure.

Speaking to MLB Network, Skenes says Dunne has helped him immensely when it comes to dealing with that pressure.

“It’s been great, she’s helped me in a lot of ways in terms of dealing with all the hype, if you will, and dealing with everything about being a professional athlete because she ‘s kind of lived. So it’s been great,” Skenes said.

Last month, Dunne managed to accomplish something Skenes did at LSU: win a national championship.

Skenes says his girlfriend, Livvy Dunne, helped him cope with the pressure of the moment

Skenes was phenomenal at the minor league level with a 0.99 ERA over seven starts

Dunne was part of the title-winning Tigers team that captured the school’s first-ever national all-around championship.

Skenes managed to do the same thing in 2023, winning the College World Series Most Outstanding Player award.

Since being drafted by the Pirates, Skenes has dominated and that’s especially true in the minor leagues this year.

Skenes posted a 0.99 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings in seven starts while pitching for the Triple-A level Indianapolis Indians.

He’s about to be locked in a pitching battle with the Chicago Cubs’ Justin Steele — who has eight strikeouts and a 0.96 ERA over two starts.