Just over half a day has passed since Paul Skenes clinched the Cy Young award, solidifying what many consider the most remarkable two-season debut in MLB history. Surprisingly, the sport’s top pitcher finds himself at a Raising Cane’s in Florida.

Standing 6 feet 6 inches tall, the 23-year-old with an intense gaze, Skenes holds the baseball world in his grasp, capable of delivering a blistering 102mph fastball. While the Pittsburgh Pirates’ ace is also recognized for his relationship with influencer Olivia Dunne, his visit isn’t solely about indulging in fried chicken, despite consuming 3,500 calories daily to dominate baseball’s elite.

His celebrations were cut short because Skenes teamed up with Cane’s for a Veterans Day initiative, contributing $500,000 to the Gary Sinise Foundation, which supports veterans and first responders.

Skenes feels a deep personal connection to veterans, given that two of his uncles served in the navy, and he himself spent two formative years at the Air Force Academy as a teenager, shaping the person he is today.

“The Air Force Academy and military life are rooted in essential principles, one of which is that the way you do anything is the way you do everything,” Skenes shared with the Daily Mail. For someone known for his often reserved demeanor, it’s a subject he speaks about with fervor.

Paul Skenes, the most exciting pitcher in baseball, alongside his girlfriend Livvy Dunne

Skenes helped raised $500,000 for the Gary Sinise Foundation to help look after veterars

Skenes, 23, won the Cy Young award last week – given to baseball’s most outstanding pitcher

‘If you live your life doing things the right way, which is what the academy teaches you and the military, you’re going to be set in whatever you’re doing.

‘I went to the Air Force Academy for a reason. Not anyone can go there, so you start with a pretty high bar of individuals and it’s an environment that’s made to make everybody better. The two years I spent there, I got better as a person and a baseball player.’

There are three veterans in attendance to mark the donation and Skenes is generous with his time around media obligations. In a particularly endearing moment he vows to take one of the vets to a game next season, the moment he learns he’s a Pirates fan.

And make no mistake, Skenes says, he will be in Pittsburgh in 2026. The buildup to his Cy Young award last Wednesday was overshadowed by a bombshell report claiming Skenes not only wants out of the organization but told teammates he wants to play for the New York Yankees.

He shot those rumors down at the first opportunity and admitted to the Mail he was annoyed at the timing of the reports.

‘There’s a reason Jeff Passan didn’t write about, I’ll say that,’ Skenes said, referencing ESPN’s trusted baseball insider. ‘Rumors are rumors, I was frustrated for a little bit, but it doesn’t really matter. 

‘I’ve had some time to think about it, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to speak to the Pittsburgh media and clear the air over nothing, basically. It is what it is.’

But Skenes must get used to gossip. While he dominates hitters with that four-seam fastball that has registed a stunning 104 strikeouts, and a changeup nobody has an answer to, his Pirates team, as Pat McAfee succinctly put it after welcoming Skenes to his ESPN show last week, puts the ‘ass in glass’. For two straight seasons, they’ve missed the playoff by a mile with a losing 76-86 record.

The couple were seen catching some rays on a tropical vacation in Hawaii this week

Dunne is on vacation in Kauai with baseball beau Skenes (pictured) and a group of friends 

Dunne showed off her stunning figure in a skimpy turquoise bikini while soaking up the sun

She was snapped catching some rays in the searing conditions out in Hawaii

Dunne was seen resting her head on her man’s shoulder as they enjoyed some alone time

Those Yankees links will especially take time to cool off given girlfriend Dunne just bought a $2million apartment in Manhattan. The Big Apple will likely become a home from home. 

Skenes pulls no punches over the need for his team to improve next year and says change needs to happen everywhere. He is emboldened by suggestions that the organization, notoriously stingey, are prepared to spend this offseason to match his ambition.

‘You start with the what and then move on to the how. So what does that look like? It’s making the city better, the team, the franchise and organization, everybody in the organization better and the how is the day-to-day and how you approach it,’ he explains.

‘I’m in Florida at the moment, I’ll see my teammates occasionally and we’re always talking, texting and shooting ideas back and forth.’

But he’s not, he insists, texting them to say he wants to go to New York.

‘I’m not a finished product,’ he adds. ‘And I won’t be for a long time. So I’m just figuring out ways to get better. I’ve got a lot of time to do that. I’ve had six weeks to do that, to think, another three or four months to think about it too.’

He was obsessing over his team during an October trip to Italy with Dunne, a time of year where in the future, he needs to playing postseason baseball, fighting for a World Series.

Skenes poses with some of the veterans who will be looked after by the thousands raised

Skenes tells Daily mail he wants the offseason to usher in an era of change at his Pirates team

The pitcher eats a huge 3,500 calories to charge up the pitching that makes him such a talent

He’s been working hard in the gym, too, but that doesn’t involve training with his famous girlfriend.

‘We’re pretty much the exact opposite in terms of build from each other,’ he grins. ‘So what I do is not at all similar to what she does. We train differently.’

His calorie count is a big part of his power but during the season, he also turns to a secret weapon – honey – between innings for a sugar boost.

‘I eat a lot. I eat honey between innings, it’s good sugar and it’s instant energy,’ he says. ‘It’s not a set thing, I do it when I feel like I need to.’

For Skenes, the success he looks destined for will be sweet. But if it’s going to come in Pittsburgh, 2026 has to be a big year for the Pirates.