6-foot-6 Paul Skenes towers over 5-foot-2 Aly Raisman in Livvy Dunne’s ‘GOAT’ photo

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes gets a visit from Olympic champion Aly Raisman during his 2025 Opening Day debut against the Marlins.

Emily Bicks | Mar 27, 2025

Mar 11, 2025: Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates took on the Miami Marlins in the first game of the 2025 MLB season on March 27. All eyes were on Paul Skenes, the fastest No. 1 overall pick to make his first Opening Day start, as expectations surrounding the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year are sky-high this season.

However, the 22-year-old phenom, who's already frontrunner to win this year's NL Cy Young Award, says it's no more pressure than he already puts on himself. "If anything, it would be pitching down to other people’s expectations, the way I think about it,” Skenes said, per MLB.com.

“The expectations I have for myself are different than what everybody else outside has, and everybody else outside doesn’t matter."

Mar 27, 2025: Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Cheering on Skenes against the Marlins on Thursday, the pitcher's girlfriend, LSU gymnastics star Livvy Dunne. The 22-year-old brought along two friends for the Opening Day matchup in Miami, DJ Xandra Pohl, and Olympic legend Aly Raisman.

Raisman racked up a total six Olympic medals, including three gold, as a member of Team's USA's "Fierce Five" in 2012 and "Final Five," in 2016. She's tied with Suni Lee as the third-most decorated gymnast in U.S. history.

@livvydunne/Instagram

Skenes, who's 6-foot-6, towered over the 5-foot-2 retired gymnast. Dunne proudly posted a photo of her boyfriend with Raisman on her Instagram Stories and wrote, "too much 🐐in one photo."

Last weekend, Raisman, 30, joined Dunne in Alabama to help cheer as the No. 2 ranked Lady Tigers defeated the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooner to win the SEC Championship.

Livvy Dunne/Instagram

While Skenes pitched well in his Opening Day debut, the Pirates ulimately lost 5-4. Pittsburgh will look to get back in the win column agains the Marlins on Friday, March 28.

Published Mar 27, 2025

EMILY BICKS

Emily Bicks is a sports reporter with over a decade of experience in journalism. In addition to her work at The Athlete Lifestyle on SI, she covers the NFL for Heavy Sports. Her previous work includes founding an entertainment column for the New York Observer, writing for Refinery29, Variety, and Tribune Media.