"I was listening to an audiobook" - Pirates flamethrower Paul Skenes surprises interviewer with unusual warmup music playlist

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes has been the talk of the town due to his continued dominance from the mound in his debut season. Although Skenes' concentration levels and his ability to remain calm in tough situations have enamored fans and analysts, his warmup routine has also sparked interest.

In an Instagram clip shared by "The Pat McAfee Show" on Sunday, Skenes had host Pat McAfee speechless with his unique pregame activity. McAfee initially asked the rookie sensation about his music preference, to which Skenes expressed his love for country music.

"Right now it's Charles Wesley Godwin and Shane Smith," Skenes said.

McAfee then asked if this was what Skenes regularly listened to, and the latter responded that his listening pattern varied.

"Depends. I was listening to an audiobook when I was warming up yesterday," Skenes replied.

McAfee's co-host was heard laughing behind the scenes while McAfee scoffed at Skenes' response. The video was cut before Skenes could share the title of the audio book.

Torey Lovullo updates on Paul Skenes' expected pitching duration for All-Star game

Paul Skenes is the first rookie in MLB history to feature in an All-Star game in the same year he was drafted. The Pirates ace was named a National League starter for the Midsummer Classic at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

There is an air of expectancy surrounding the marquee event, with fans eagerly awaiting Skenes' matchup against American League superstar Aaron Judge. As of this writing, Judge leads the MLB in home runs for this season.

The Yankees captain praised Skenes at the All-Star Media Day on July 15.

"It’s special stuff man," Judge said. "You can talk about the velocity on his pitches and what he does but the guy's a pitcher."

While MLB fans eagerly await the meeting between one of the best pitchers and hitters this season, Skenes is unlikely to pitch beyond the first inning. This has been a trend seen among the starters in the last four All-Star games. Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, who is taking charge of the NL team, hinted at following this move when asked ahead of the game.

Veteran Rangers pitcher Max Scherzer was the last pitcher to go more than one inning when he competed in the 2018 All-Star game at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.