MLB star Paul Skenes has divided opinion after sharing his views on representing America at the upcoming World Baseball Classic (WBC).Â
The Pittsburgh Pirates star – who is also boyfriend to former LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne – will suit up for Team USA at the tournament which begins on March 5th. Â
The WBC follows on swiftly from the 2026 Winter Olympics, where Team USA won a record 12 gold medals and finished second in the medal table.
However, controversy arose after multiple Team USA athletes used their platform to decry the political climate of the country, as well as the Trump Administration.
Now, ahead of the WBC, Skenes has spoken out about what it means to represent America, as well as reflecting on Team USA’s success at the Games.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he said: ‘Yeah, men’s hockey, women’s hockey, all the golds that we won in the Olympics. We’re America. We’ve got to assert our dominance over everyone else. That’s what we do.
MLB star Paul Skenes has divided opinion after sharing his views on representing America
Skenes is the boyfriend of gymnast-turned-influencer Livvy Dunne and the most recent Cy Young Award winner
Speaking on the WBC, the Pittsburgh Pirates star continued: ‘It’s going to be fun. If USA wins, it’s what we do. [We’ve] got to keep it going.
‘We’re doing it to represent the men and women that are fighting for us, along with many other things that make this country the greatest country in the world.
‘That puts it into perspective a little bit,’ said Skenes, who has previously spoken about his admiration for the US military having begun his college baseball career with the Air Force Falcons.
Skenes’ comments swiftly went viral on social media, with fans left divided over his claims in light of the recent controversy at the Winter Olympics.Â
It began after Team USA free skier Hunter Hess admitted he had ‘mixed emotions’ about wearing the Stars and Stripes during the 2026 Games in Milan.
The 27-year-old skier previously stated that representing the United States was ‘a little hard’ given the current political situation at home.
In response, Trump labelled the Olympian – who finished 10th in his event at the Games – as a ‘loser’ who should never have tried out for the team.
‘U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.Â
Fans ripped into Skenes for his comments which went viral on Thursday evening
On Team USA’s success at the Winter Olympics, Skenes said: ‘We’re America. We’ve got to assert our dominance over everyone else. That’s what we do.’
Team USA ski star Hunter Hess sparked controversy over his anti-Trump commentsÂ
Donald Trump ranted about ‘loser’ Hess and sparked ‘the worst two weeks’ of the skier’s lifeÂ
‘If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it. Very hard to root for someone like this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’
Hess had sparked the initial fury by telling reporters that wearing the flag did not mean he represented ‘everything that’s going on in the U.S.’.
‘There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of,’ Hess said. ‘Wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.’
He further explained: ‘I’m representing my friends and family back home, the people that represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S. I just think if it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it.’
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Livvy Dunne’s baseball star boyfriend goes viral for polarizing comments about America