The game of baseball is one of the most complex and old-school games in all of sports, but there is one thing that will never change about the game. Walk-up songs are one of the most exciting features of baseball.
From staying up all night as a high school player trying to come up with the perfect choice to attending a Major League game as a kid and watching your favorite player roll out with his go-to jam, walk-up songs are a baseball staple. Ever since 1970, this tradition has been a huge hit.
William Contreras: Narco
For some of these songs, you just have to hear them live and in-person at a game. William Contreras, brother of Willson on the Chicago Cubs, has one of the most exciting walk-up songs in baseball.
When Contreras walks up to the plate, the entirety of Truist Park claps in unison to the instrumental part of this song. Narco, by Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet, has since been popularized by the Atlanta Braves’ designated hitter. Skip to 16 seconds into the song, close your eyes, and imagine walking up to the plate with this song and hearing thousands of fans clapping along.
Charlie Blackmon: Your Love
A baseball classic, used by people of all ages, is Your Love by The Outfield. It will not necessarily get the crowd pumped, but everybody knows the song and sings in unison.
Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies is one of many players to rock this coveted walk-up song, and the fans in the mountains love it. It is very fitting for an MLB player to use a song by a group called The Outfield anyways.
Lane Thomas: Dirt On My Boots
For the country fans out there, this is one of the best walk-up songs. Four MLB players step up to the plate to this song by Jon Pardi, including Lane Thomas of the Washington Nationals.
This song will get country fans pumped up, and it appeals to all ages of country fans. You either love country walk-up songs, or hate them, but there is no doubt that this song gets the country folks fired up.
Anthony Rizzo: Intoxicated
Anthony Rizzo has had many great walk-up songs, including Bad Blood by Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar, and Intoxicated by Martin Solveig & GTA proves he has a great taste in music. Rizzo does not care if people make fun of his walk-up songs; he simply goes out there and is himself.
You will see on this list that most of the songs chosen are on the list due to their audience engagement. When Rizzo was a member of the Chicago Cubs, fans would stand up and clap as their all-star came up to bat with this song. Walk-up songs simply make the game more fun for everyone involved, and this is a prime example.
David Ortiz: Big Poppa
The most fitting song on the list is Big Poppa by The Notorious BIG. David “Big Papi” Ortiz chose this song as the song he would hit bombs to Fenway Park. It is a classic, funny and well-known song.
When selecting a walk-up song, there are many things to consider. Is there a song that your city you are playing for loves? Do you have a name that has a good play on words with a song? Do you want the fans to sing along, or do you simply want to pump yourself up? Walk-up songs deserve to be part of baseball as long as the game exists.
