“I want to go fly planes and kill bad people, and if baseball opens up, then I’ll do that.” This is probably a common thought for someone who plays baseball at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs! Wait, is it not the same place where Paul Skenes, Olivia Dunne’s boyfriend, once was? Not just once, Paul has spent a memorable time there by embracing a life in the ‘structured confinement.’ And in fact, these words are from Skenes himself. So how did a career in the major leagues open up to the pitcher?
Currently, Paul Skenes is someone with a big name in Pittsburgh. Two years ago, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft inked a deal of a whopping $9.2 million with the Pirates. The number easily went past the 2020 No. 1 pick Spencer Torkelson’s $8.42 million deal. And Skenes set such things at just 20 years of age. Unbelievable, no? But all this could not have been possible if Livvy’s boyfriend had failed to decide something at a key time. What was that?
In the interaction with GQ Sports, Paul explained the scenario from where he said yes to the Pirates. The story goes that after his sophomore year at the Air Force Academy, a further stay would have made him spend four years in the same institute, despite being drafted by a pro team before. So? Meanwhile, Paul’s coach came forward with an effective suggestion.
Aug 10, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
“He was like, You either stay here and when you get drafted, you walk across the stage in your flight suit, and every time you pitch you’re a recruiting ad for the Air Force, or you go somewhere that’s going to make you the first overall pick,” Skenes said. Fortunately, he followed that advice and took the final call. “Yeah, dude, whatever. That’s not going to happen, but I get what you’re saying. And then it was like, Okay, it happened.”
The report is developing…
The post Olivia Dunne’s BF Paul Skenes Would Never Have $9.2M Contract if Not for 1 Decision on MLB Career appeared first on EssentiallySports.
