Step up to the plate against Joey Chestnut.
Just make sure to eat whatever food is on that plate very, very quickly.
The legendary competitive eater will be taking on local fans in food-eating contests at minor league baseball games around the country this summer.
“Baseball, food, hot dogs, they go together great,” Chestnut told NBC. “The guys who go to baseball games, they like to yell at me to eat.”
Now they can try to eat more than the best to ever do it, if they’ve got the stomach for it.
The menu, contest format and fan selection process will vary by city, with each competition featuring popular dishes or concession creations from the area.
Adam Gray/Getty Images
Adam Gray/Getty Images Joey Chestnut competes in the men’s competition at Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4, 2025 in New York City.
Chestnut, the 17-time Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, is scheduled to make the first appearance of his eating tour on Friday at the Wichita Wing Surge game in Kansas. He will compete against a pairing of two fans in a chili bun eating competition – which is a sweet and savory mix of cinnamon buns dipped in chili.
“This chili bun, it’s something I’ve never had before, and hopefully I don’t get smoked,” Chestnut said. “If they’re familiar with [chili buns], they might. I hope not. But I’ve been beat before.”
Says the guy who holds more than 50 world eating records in a variety of foods ranging from grilled cheese sandwiches and gyros to apple pies and Twinkies. He offered some advice to those who relish the opportunity to compete against him.
“Don’t forget to breathe,” he said. “A lot of people, they’re eating in front of people for the first time. They keep stuffing their mouth and they forget to breathe, and they’re like a deer in headlights and panic. Stay calm, swallow, breathe and wiggle it down.”
Other foods that Chestnut will wiggle down on the tour include tacos for Cinco De Mayo at the Oklahoma City Comets game on May 5.
At the Birmingham Barons game on May 28, he’ll devour Birming-Hammer sandwiches – which includes three blended burgers, smoked sausage, barbecued pork, mac and cheese, grilled onions and cheese.
Chestnut, who in 2021 set the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest record of 76 hot dogs consumed during the 10-minute event, will compete in a cheeseburger dog contest at the Reading Fightin Phils game on May 30. Fans will also have the option of challenging Chestnut from their seats in the stands by purchasing 10-packs of cheeseburger dogs.
Here is Chestnut’s full schedule of stadium appearances and food items, with competitions in Kansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New York and Wisconsin:
- April 17: Wichita Wind Surge (Double-A Twins) – Chili buns
- May 5: Oklahoma City Comets (Triple-A Dodgers) – Cinco de Mayo-themed
- May 28: Birmingham Barons (Double-A White Sox) – Birming-Hammer sandwich
- May 30: Reading Fightin Phils (Double-A Phillies) – Cheeseburger dogs
- June 6: St. Paul Saints (Triple-A Twins) – TBD
- July 18: Memphis Redbirds (Triple-A Cardinals) – TBD
- July 31: Hudson Valley Renegades (High-A Yankees) – Cider donuts
- August 7: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Triple-A Yankees) – Pierogi
- August 28: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (High-A Brewers) – Bratoberfest Platter (bratwurst, sauerkraut, cheese curds and Bavarian pretzels)
“Our clubs push the boundaries of creativity when it comes to food, and there’s no better stage than Minor League Baseball for Joey to take on the signature dishes that define these communities,” said representatives of Diamond Baseball Holdings, which owns the teams that are welcoming Chestnut this summer.
The 42-year-old Chestnut, who grew up a fan of the Oakland Athletics, now lives in Indiana and attends Indianapolis Indians minor league games.
“I get to bring my dogs out there, Bark in the Park nights,” he said, adding that he treats himself and his dogs to some hot dogs. “Give your dog a dog.”
He called minor league stadiums, with their unique food offerings and family-friendly atmosphere, the perfect setting for food-eating competitions.
“It’s not as hectic as you go to a pro game,” he said. “It’s a little bit laid back and it’s great for families. Competitive eating is kind of childish, so it’s a little bit of a younger crowd at the minor league games, and they get it.”
Chestnut said he will be using these events as an appetizer for his main course: the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on the Fourth of July.
“I’m trying to get permission from Nathan’s, I want to do hot dogs at a couple of them,” he said. “It’s one thing to do practices at home. Practicing in front of people or even the heat in the beating sun, it’s different.”
Would any baseball players at the stadiums hosting the eating contests be willing to step up to the plate against Chestnut?
“Maybe the pitchers who aren’t set to pitch,” Chestnut said. “But I don’t think the coach or anybody wants to risk somebody choking right before the game, or getting bloated, or being useless during the game.”
Competitive eating legend Joey Chestnut won the world burrito eating championship in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Thursday
