NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:The next sports power couple? Livvy Dunne's boyfriend Paul Skenes is top MLB prospect

MLB Spring Training 2024 is NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Centerin full swing in Arizona and Florida. The National League Central's Pittsburgh Pirates kicked off their first game of the spring today with a 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

The Pirates finished 2023 second-to-last in the NL Central ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals. Pittsburgh hasn't made the playoffs since 2015 with just one winning season since then in 2018. There's reason to be excited about the Pirates' future though, including prospect Paul Skenes, the first overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft.

Skenes won the College World Series with LSU in 2023 and won Most Outstanding Player in the series. But he may be more popular as half of an athletics power couple with gymnast Olivia 'Livvy' Dunne.

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Sports power couple loading: Livvy Dunne and Paul Skenes

Dunne has one of the largest social media followings among college athletes. She has more than 15 million followers across her social networks and reportedly makes $3.5 million in endorsement deals. At that number, she's the highest-paid women's athlete in college sports, according to On3 NIL valuation rankings. Fellow LSU Tiger Angel Reese is the second-highest paid women's athlete at $1.7 million.

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Rumors began last August that Dunne and Skenes were dating after Dunne posted photos on social media from Bradenton, Florida, where Skenes was assigned to the Pirates' affiliate. Skenes later confirmed their relationship in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Skenes posted a photo to Instagram with Dunne in September at a Tigers football game.

In December, Dunne posted photos and videos with Skenes on her social media platforms.

Skenes explained to the Post-Gazette that the two LSU stars got together after his best friend at LSU starting dating Dunne's roommate and best friend.

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Will Paul Skenes play in spring training?

Skenes was not in the starting lineup for the Pirates' game against the Twins but Pittsburgh announced him as one of 13 non-roster players invited to spring training.

Skenes is No. 3 in MLB.com's top 100 prospect rankings, behind only Jackson Holliday of the Baltimore Orioles and Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers. Skenes and Holliday may face off in a Spring Breakout game between the Pirates and Orioles March 14.

The 6-foot-6 pitcher set a Division I record in his final season at LSU in striking out 209 hitters over 122 2/3 innings. His fastball's been graded at an 80, the maximum number on the scouts' scale. He took little time to make an impression in spring training by breaking his catcher's glove during practice.

Where will Paul Skenes play in 2024?

Skenes went from the rookie-level FCL Pirates up to the Single-A Bradenton Marauders and then to the Double-A Altoona Curve in a matter of weeks last August. He was shut down in September to prepare for the 2024 season.

He's set to continue in the minor leagues but some scouts expect his call-up to the majors sometime this year.

"We let him continue to grow at his pace,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton told USA TODAY. “That’s the most important thing. The fact that he’s 1/1 highlights it, but we just need him to continue to get better, to learn the professional game.

“A big part of development is just being a professional player.”