Mike Trout's teammate Ben Joyce opens up on the strict diet behind his 105 mph fastball

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Ben Joyce opened up about the strict diet that he follows both in the offseason and during the season on Saturday, and this left the hosts of the show, MLB Central, impressed with his dedication. The 24-year-old broke into the spotlight last season when he delivered a 105.5 mph fastball against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

This pitch was one of the fastest pitches in the modern era and the third-fastest pitch ever recorded (since speed tracking began in 2008). Ben Joyce was selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2022 MLB Draft and went on to make his major league debut the following year after moving up the minors.

Starting the 2024 season in the minors, Joyce was promoted in June and finished the season with a 2.08 ERA and a 2-0 record with four saves. In a recent interview on the MLB Central show, Joyce opened up about the strict diet behind his blazing fastball. When asked if he ever eats pizza, he responded by saying that he "very rarely" ate it.

"No, I don't (eat pizza)," Joyce said. "Very rarely, maybe in the offseason, once or twice. (My guilty pleasure food), would probably be pasta. Honestly, I basically just eat steak and avocado at this point."

When asked what his newly-engaged fiance thinks of his diet, he said:

"Honestly, she's great. She's kind of like, whatever you make, I'll eat it. So, she's kind of gotten on the Ben Joyce diet, I guess. It's a lot of ground beef and a lot of steak."

Despite having ended his 2024 prematurely due to an injury, Ben Joyce has made a strong start to what will likely be his first full season in the MLB. In his four appearances so far this season, the reliever has a 1-0 record with a 0.00 ERA.

Ben Joyce opens up on playing alongside Kenley Jansen

While Ben Joyce showed plenty of promise last year, the Los Angeles Angels signed veteran closer Kenley Jansen to a one-year, $10 million deal this year. This has seen Joyce move to the setup role, but the youngster is happy to learn from the experienced closer.

"Every day, I'm trying to be like a sponge and just learn as much as I can from him," Joyce said. "But I think the biggest part is just the mentality. Every time he goes out there, he thinks the game is over, and he really believes that. He has a true closer mentality, and that's what I'm mostly taking from him. Just how he approaches his every day business, it's second to none."

Jansen is in the twilight of his illustrious MLB career and on track to become a Hall of Famer upon his retirement. Joyce is well aware of the experience the 37-year-old brings and is eager to learn as much as he can from the veteran.