What exactly happened to the Pittsburgh Pirates? They seem to be on a roll recently after a long slump. They walloped the Washington Nationals 10-3 on Monday and now stand at 6-11. Meanwhile, the Nationals dropped to 6-10.

And yes, Pittsburgh bats were a big reason for their comeback. But the real show was put up by Paul Skenes. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick threw 6.0 innings, giving up just one earned run on three hits. So, no walks and six strikeouts later, Skenes proved he is very much the player he was. And with that gem of gameplay, Paul Skenes bumped his season record to 2-1.

And the ERA? That lowered to 2.96, too. Not too shabby for a player who was pointed out as being someone who can’t even get the crowd to watch him, right? But whether fans turn up or not for support, there is always someone beside him, and it’s Olivia Dunne.

So, during the game with the Nationals, there was an unexpected tumble. In that moment, Skenes seemed to lose his footing and fell right on his head while trying to field. And so his girlfriend, rather, gymnast Olivia Dunne, saw the perfect opportunity for some fun. The LSU star rated the moment in her Instagram story. And she gave her man a 9.8 for execution. Wondering why the deduction?

Well, Dunne seems to be the strict kind. She explained, “Points off for the landing.” But hey, when one dates a gymnast, the score can never be about just the effort, right? However, while that was the playful commentary side of the game, Monday also saw some history unfold on the mound.

Henry Davis was just called up from the minors and was brought into the game after an early injury. And just like that, it created the first-ever battery of No. 1 overall picks in MLB history. So, Davis is from 2021, and Paul Skenes is from 2023. But really, right now, that’s the only common link between them. Because while Skenes, with him being the NL Rookie of the Year, continues to grow, the same can’t be said about Davis. He is still trying to find his groove and has struggled with injuries. He entered Monday with just 99 MLB games under his belt. But it remains to be seen if now is the turning point.

What’s driving Paul Skenes’ dominance?

So, Paul Skenes‘ popularity is nothing unknown. Some even go as far as to call him the face of baseball for Gen Z today. Everything from his fastball to his pitch that defies physics is talked about. But while the hype machine has its own up-and-down meter, the real secret to Skenes’ success is not how fast he throws but how still he can be.

Because for all that noise around him, Skenes is chasing something different—silence. And maybe that’s how he got over his slump so fast.

Paul Skenes, talking to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, said, “You can’t master the noise until you master the silence.” This is a life lesson that a coach once told him, and it has stayed. So, even amidst the chaos of the packed stadiums and the weight of online clout, Skenes manages to keep his cool. In fact, he says he seeks those quieter moments, and then only does his mind become clear.

And it matters, especially now.

Because overall well-being is a huge struggle. And it became a concerning focal point after Jarren Duran recently opened up about his journey in a Netflix documentary. It goes on to show that the players are very much human and feel deep emotions. So for Skenes, silence might not be a mindset but a tool, rather, to reset and rise.

Skenes mentioned that when he sits or lies in bed, his mind gets to work. “Compartmentalizing stuff, thinking about the game, doing a debrief of myself. That’s how I’ll get pitch grips. Just sitting around and imagining the feel of the baseball and being like, Oh, I’m going to try that. It works, or it doesn’t work. If you do that enough, you’re going to figure stuff out.”

And he is probably right; stillness, after all, is how Newton discovered gravity. Surely, there seems to be something to gain with it.

So, Skenes might dominate in the spotlight, but the reason he thrives and is now one of the best is because of his time in the quiet. Think that works well?