Your guide to the most interesting MLB walk-up music, then and now

So how did the walk-up song start, exactly? Well, here’s the quick version. In 1972, Sparky Lyle was traded to the Yankees and a team publicist thought it’d be a good idea for the eccentric player to have his own entrance music. After the novel thought, the stadium organist would start playing “Pomp and Circumstance” whenever Lyle came onto the mound. It’s a tradition that didn’t continue for the pitcher, but everyone else has a walk-up song nowadays.

If you’ve ever been to a graduation, you’ve heard “Pomp and Circumstance.”

If you’re a Yankee fan, there’s no music you would rather hear in the top of the ninth with a lead. That meant Mariano was coming in for the save.

I know professional baseball players are not easily fazed. But I have to imagine it must be pretty fucking intimidating to watch the greatest closer ever trot out of the pen with Metallica in the background. Shit, I’m sweating just typing to this.

With Mo out of the league, there are still some guys who step up to the plate with “Enter Sandman.” But it just ain’t the same.

First, this is a fantastic song for anyone’s walk-up. But it was especially perfect for David Ortiz who used it in Boston. Big Pappi, meet Big Poppa.

I don’t know if Josh Reddick wants to fuck with us or he has a genuinely interesting music taste… It could be both.

Reddick used to arrive at the batter’s box serenaded by the opening saxophone riff in “Careless Whisper” by George Michael. Which certainly deserves its own honorable mention on this list.

Now, Reddick walks to “Also Sprach Zarathustra Op.30: Einleitung (Opening).” Otherwise known as the theme song from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

See, the walk-up songs have to be short. With this orchestral piece, Reddick gets five notes and probably enough motivation to hit the stitching off the ball.

When Kris Bryant steps to the plate, he is reminded to warm up by Kris Kross. I mean it can’t get more straightforward than that.

Warm it up Kris!

Speaking of a great walk-up song for a specific ballplayer… I know of one MLB pitcher who used this 2007 anthem. Any guesses?

Yu Darvish, of course. And it’s perfect.

The Puerto Rican group is one of the most recognized salsa bands in the world and their music has traveled to MLB ballparks. Carlos Beltran, for one, used to walk up to “Timbalero.”

Overplayed? Sure. But does the beat still slap? Yes. Yes, it does.

This is one of the sports world’s most iconic tracks. It’s an award-winning song, a fan chant, and an arena anthem. No wonder a ton of MLB players still pick “Seven Nation Army’’ to warm up to.

With the help of 2Pac and Dr. Dre, Kenley Jansen welcomes everybody to the wild wild west when he jogs out to the mound in LA. If you’re a Dodger fan hearing this song in the 9th inning, you like your chances.

You see, Yoenis, everything the Mets touch turns to shit. That’s how it works in the kingdom of Queens.

Still, this has to be one of the best walk-up songs like, ever?

Dodgers catcher, Will Smith, was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, but that doesn’t stop him from playing the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme.

When your name is Will Smith, do you really have any other choice?

Alright, this isn’t a song to bang your head to but it still gets the blood pumping for one ballplayer. Todd Frazier dials up the ol’ Frank before taking his swings. Cue the rest of Citi Field snapping with the beat.

Whatever gets you going, Todd.

For this assignment, I went through almost every athlete’s walk-up music. And Bad Bunny is the most popular artist among ballplayers… by far.

I could’ve chosen a different, maybe more popular, Bad Bunny walk-up song but Frank Sinatra got me sleepy. Wake up with this and turn the volume UP.

Step into any professional sports venue and chances are you’ll hear one, maybe two, AC/DC jams. Hell’s Bells, Back in Black, and Highway to Hell are all hits. But “Thunderstruck” is Deadspin’s arena anthem champ and a song a bunch of players walk up to.

It’s a classic, and it still rocks.

I know you don’t want to hear this annoying song ever again. But you have to admit this was pretty cool.

In case you were social-distancing and quarantining in 2019, Gerardo Parra’s at-bats became a fan favorite after he switched his warm-up music at the request of his children.