Paul Skenes has mostly bounced back from his rough start to the 2026 season in New York. But he hasn’t quite reached that flawless 2025 form either.
The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner came into Saturday’s Pirates-Blue Jays matchup still just 23 years old and coming off a five-run outing. Toronto didn’t waste any time jumping on him either, though Skenes settled in after the early damage.
When Skenes gave up a first-inning home run to George Springer, it created an interesting live reaction from his girlfriend, influencer and gymnast Livvy Dunne, who was in Toronto for the game.
Dunne’s Emotional Roller Coaster
Dunne has traveled with Skenes for many of his starts, and this trip north of the border was no exception. She was sitting in the stands at Rogers Centre as Skenes took the mound Saturday afternoon.
As Skenes fired his first two pitches to leadoff batter Springer, she was cheering, “Let’s go, Paul!”
That enthusiasm changed quickly. Springer sent Skenes’ third pitch over the left field wall, and Dunne appeared to let out some expletives as her mood shifted to dejection.
Livvy Dunne was excited about this Paul Skenes start until the third pitch pic.twitter.com/ppStm5MDUV
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 23, 2026
The couple has been dating since 2023, when Dunne was first spotted wearing Skenes’ No. 30 jersey during the College World Series. Skenes later confirmed their relationship publicly.
At that time, Dunne was still competing as a star gymnast at LSU while Skenes was finishing his final season pitching for the Tigers before the Pirates drafted him.
Skenes Still Dominant Despite Recent Struggles
Skenes certainly hasn’t been bad in 2026. He’s remained one of the National League’s best pitchers, especially when you factor out that ugly five-run Opening Day performance against the Mets.
In his eight appearances following that game, Skenes allowed just six runs total. That’s the kind of dominance we’ve come to expect.
But another recent five-run outing against the Phillies and Saturday’s four runs against Toronto have pushed Skenes’ ERA back to 3.00. Even with most of his typically-dominant numbers down a bit from 2025, he owns a 6-4 record thanks to increased run support from Pittsburgh’s offense.
Here’s where Skenes stands through 11 starts in 2026:
| Games | Record | IP | WAR | WHIP | ERA | K | BB | H | ER |
| 11 | 6-4 | 60.0 | 1.5 | 0.82 | 3.00 | 65 | 9 | 40 | 20 |
Those numbers still show elite control with just nine walks in 60 innings. The strikeout rate remains strong, and that 0.82 WHIP demonstrates he’s still missing plenty of bats.
What makes this stretch interesting is watching how a Cy Young winner adjusts when things aren’t clicking perfectly. Skenes is learning that even elite pitchers go through rough patches, and at 23, he’s got plenty of time to work back to that 2025 form that made him the best pitcher in the National League.
