Mets walkup songs: The stories behind the music

Francisco Lindor

Walkup song: “My Girl” by The Temptations

“I’m a lot about vibes. It’s kind of what I’m vibing to at the moment. It’s also for my wife, my daughters, they love it. It reminds me of them whenever it’s playing.”

“I want to feel happiness. I’m already prepared coming into my day, so when I’m walking up to the plate I don’t want to be thinking too much. I just want to be happy and I want to be in a place where I can really compete. That song right now is doing it for me.”

“I’m not superstitious at all. I have too much stuff: too many gloves, colors, bats, I can’t be superstitious.”

“Last year, I changed the song every day. Every day I’d come in and change the song. Whatever was the vibe of the day, that’s what I put. Friday, Saturday, Sunday; Sunday was always a lot more Bob Marley and softer stuff. It would always depend on the day.”

“I’m not superstitious. The song is not helping me hit, it’s just me. When I changed the song, we weren’t playing well, and that song was helping me be happier.”

JD Martinez

Walkup song: “Hustlin’” by Rick Ross

“I told them to keep putting on different songs until I got a hit. They put on every song out there and I was 0–10 with seven strikeouts. Then, they put on ‘Hustlin’’ and I just went on a tear. I got called up to the big leagues two weeks later, so I just rode it out for my whole career.”

Pete Alonso

Walkup song: “Working Man” by Rush

“It’s a super iconic guitar riff. I grew up on classic rock and it’s just one of those songs that I remember listening to a bunch as a kid. I honestly just want to feel sexy and confident when I’m walking up to the dish. I always like being in a good mood when I’m walking up to the dish.”

“It takes probably the entire offseason to narrow it down, it’s always a process. If the song runs out of hits, then you mix it up. It’s as simple as that.”

Mark Vientos

Walkup song: “one of wun” by Gunna

“I listened to it in my car one day and I was like, ‘Yeah, this goes hard.’ Other people might want to be relaxed. For me, I want to feel like I’m the best. I want to walk up and have a little swagger, that’s my thing. I want to feel like myself.”

Tyrone Taylor

Walkup song: “It Was A Good Day” by Ice Cube

“I grew up listening to this kind of music, there’s nothing much else to it. I just like that vibe. I like to feel calm and it’s a pretty chill song. Usually, when I get tired of it, I’ll just switch it up. I’ve switched it up once this season and I’ll probably do it again sometime soon. I’ll probably do one more and ride it out for the rest of the season.”

Harrison Bader

Walkup song: “A Bay Bay” by Hurricane Chris

“It’s kind of a cult classic that dates back to my high school days. It’s a little bit of a play on my last name and my Instagram handle, aybaybader, pretty straightforward. Walk-up songs are a little funny. A lot of people choose songs that they want fans to sing to, maybe it just gets them in the zone so they don’t care about anybody else. For me, the song itself, the lyrics, just work for me.”

“I want something I can sing to, something I can hum to in the box. I’ve had some good ones in the past where they just stay with me throughout the at-bat. Obviously, you’re focusing on the moment, but having that passive, subtle escape from the pressure of the situation helps me. Alternatively, if it was a bad song that bothered me as I’m walking up to the plate, I think that would affect my performance. You just want something that’ll bring you into the zone and show a little personality.”

“If I decide to change a walk-up song and I go a game or two with no hits, I’m definitely changing it. For the most part, I’ve had success with this one, so I’ll stick with it. It suits me.”

Sean Manaea

Intro song: “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr.

“First of all, the song is an absolute jam. It’s a classic, I've always loved it. I started at San Diego in 2022, and I kept it through that. San Diego and San Francisco were tough times, but the song has started to become part of me so I’m glad I stuck with it. My fiance hated it at first. As a song it’s good, but as a walk-out song it’s not really getting anybody pumped. She’s had to listen to it for the past couple years though and I think it’s growing on her.”

“You can interpret it in many different ways. It could be me and the hitter, me and the crowd, it could be a whole bunch of different things.”

“I’ve had a lot of walk-out songs over the years. My first one was ‘Animals’ by Martin Garrix which was cool. It was a little techno which got me pumped up. I had some Bay Area hip hop songs, I had some Samoan rap and chants, but they all lose their effect after a while. ‘Just the Two of Us’ still hasn’t gotten old. It’s gotten to the point where I envision it and get chills.”

Jesse Winker

Walkup song: "Sky's the Limit" by The Notorious B.I.G.

“One of my teammates in D.C., Nasim Nunez, he actually sang it on the bus. When he was singing I was like, 'oh my God, what a good song.' I immediately went on Spotify and downloaded that album. When I got traded here, I was like ok I’ll use it.”

“My two walkouts I had in D.C. were "Just What I Am" by Kid Cudi and "Shorty Wanna Be a Thug" by Tupac. I just figured, I love music, I love hip hop, I love classic rock and everything in between. I already had a Tupac one so I was like 'hey, let’s go Biggie.'”

— Nick Villamil 

Jose Iglesias

Walkup song: "OMG" by Candelita (Iglesias' stage name) 

“It’s not just a song. It’s a movement. It’s happened a few times where Vientos hits a home run and then I get to hear it. And then as soon as I step up to the plate, I get to hear it again.”

“It’s a dream come true. There is no word to describe everything that is going through the Mets and the fans and everybody connecting with the song. My goal was to walk up to my own song. But it’s become now where everybody wants to walk up to that song.” 

“I never thought it was going to be as big as it is. I definitely love the song, that’s why I recorded it. And I love the message behind it, it’s a very positive message. I’m glad the message has spread out around the world. That was my main thing. Connect with the lyrics, connect with the message, and keep moving forward.” I want to be in the music industry for sure. But as of right now, it’s an 'oh my God' moment that I’m going to continue on and off the field and continue to connect with people.”

— Nick Villamil