Livvy Dunne weighs in after Paul Skenes debuts a fully shaved look

Brian Schaible

•
Livvy Dunne weighs in after Paul Skenes debuts a fully shaved look image

For the better part of three years, Paul Skenes has been one of the most overpowering figures in baseball, first at LSU, then on the sport’s biggest professional stage. A national championship in Baton Rouge was followed by a Rookie of the Year campaign and, most recently, a Cy Young Award as the National League’s best pitcher.

Even as the Pittsburgh Pirates have struggled to find consistency around him, Skenes’ starts have become appointment viewing.

Alongside that rise, he has also developed a remarkably consistent look. The mustache has been a constant. The beard has come and gone in variations, usually hovering somewhere between stubble and a trimmed chin strap. It has become part of the Skenes package at this point, recognizable, familiar, almost expected.

Which is why fans did a double take this week.

Skenes’ longtime girlfriend, Livvy Dunne, shared photos and a TikTok revealing a fully shaved Paul, a version she admitted she had never seen during their relationship. In the video, Dunne mouthed “oh my gosh,” pairing it with the caption, “Baby face cutieeee.” When a fan later asked whether she preferred him with a beard or clean shaven hairless chin, Dunne’s response was perfectly on brand and disarming. “I prefer Paul.”

MORE: Former LSU star Livvy Dunne reveals her ambitions for the big screen

Naturally, the internet went where it always goes. Some fans immediately speculated this could be a subtle hint at a future in pinstripes, pointing to the New York Yankees and their long standing grooming standards. Pirates leadership, however, has consistently and firmly shut down any trade chatter involving their ace.

MORE: Will Paul Skenes pay ‘six figures’ for one of a kind Livvy Dunne Topps autographed card

For now, it is probably just a change of pace, nothing more than an offseason reset. Still, when the most dominant pitcher in baseball changes his look, people notice. Whether the beard grows back or the clean shave sticks, Skenes will take the mound in 2026 as the face of Pittsburgh’s future. Facial hair or not, the results will be what everyone is watching.

More sports news: 

Staff Writer