Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Paul Skenes began what could be a promising MLB career over the weekend. And ahead of his second start later this week, Skenes appeared on the Pat McAfee Show to discuss what goes into his pregame preparation.
Skenes has had a meteoric rise up the Pirates farm system, going all the way from Low-A ball to the major leagues in under a year after going first overall in the 2023 MLB Draft.
It begs the question. What does Paul Skenes do, aside from his god-given ability which is quite pronounced, that has made him such an excellent prospect?
Well, on the Pat McAfee Show, Skenes revealed that he eats the same meal before every single start that he makes, which happens to be Chicken Alfredo.
“Yeah, I eat Chicken Alfredo before every start,” said Skenes. “I got some crap from some of the guys before my last (start) because I had a ginormous plate of Chicken Alfredo a couple of hours before I was gonna pitch. They were basically telling me I wouldn’t even make it out to pitch. That they would just be sitting on the toilet before their outing. But that’s just what I do every outing. It helps me keep my energy.”
“I eat Chicken Alfredo before every start..
I got some crap from some of the guys on Saturday for it but that’s just what I do”@Paul_Skenes #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/srwsm5XzdO
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 14, 2024
On one hand, Skenes’ signature dish does have the carbs and protein to keep him energized. But when you think about it, it is quite a heavy dish to be eating before any start, much less the first MLB start of your career like he had this past weekend.
Fans pointed out exactly this in their reactions to this quite bizarre revelation from Skenes on social media.
I’m going to start eating some now so I can throw some mad BP to my kids!
Find out later if I puke it up mid BP! 🤣
— Tyler (@the_dadsquatch) May 14, 2024
My favorite
— Brandoñ Dubisky (@BrandonDubisky) May 14, 2024
Regardless, the pregame routine certainly seems to have worked for him so far. In his MLB debut, he was able to strike out seven batters, over the course of four innings.
