Even Paul Skenes, whose lengthy pregame routine leaves no stone unturned en route to making the Pittsburgh Pirates ace prepared, gets bored before baseball games sometimes. And what does Skenes do when he gets bored? Become a Pirates groundskeeper, of course.
Before tossing five shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday at PNC Park, Skenes was on the field, closely observing the finer arts of groundskeeping while chatting up the Pirates' grounds crew, according to Noah Hiles of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
But this was more than just a way for Skenes to pass the time.
Paul Skenes, future grounds crew member? 👀
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 2, 2025
📸: @_NoahHiles pic.twitter.com/GOGeTYDkNx
According to Hiles, Skenes would "love to cut grass professionally" when his already-decorated pitching career is done. The days of the 23-year-old Pirates righthander, who currently leads the National League in ERA, trading in his glove for a mower would seem to be far in the future.
But if Skenes gets his wish, you could one day find him mowing lawns after he's finished mowing down big-league hitters.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 'Bored' Paul Skenes Occupied Himself Pregame by Observing Pirates' Groundskeepers.
