5 Grammy-nominated songs that MLB players should walk up to next season
At the Grammys on Sunday, the Recording Academy will anoint one of the past year's top songs Record of the Year, making it officially the song of the year (but not Song of the Year, because that's a different category). Winning the Grammy is undoubtedly an honor, and all the nominees would surely be thrilled with winning.
There is, of course, an even higher honor than winning a Grammy: Being selected as a Major Leaguer's walk-up song for the season. The lists of Grammy nominees and walk-up songs are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but while only one of this year's Record of the Year nominees can win the Grammy, all five could be used as a walk-up song this upcoming season. To help them achieve such glory, we came up with a few suggestions for which particular big leaguers should adopt a new walk-up song.
"Hello" - Adele
Our walk-up song recommendation: Mike Napoli
Who was Napoli speaking with on the dugout phone? The answer, now, is clear:
"Heeeellllllooooo from the other side," Adele sings, mournfully.
"Heeeellllllooooo from the dugout," Napoli sings back, out of breath after hitting a first-inning homer.
We think "Hello" would be the perfect walk-up song for the dugout phone conversationalist.
"Formation" - Beyoncé
Our walk-up song recommendation: Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Andrew Benintendi
"OK ladies, now let's get in formation," Beyoncé calls on "Formation." We imagine the three Red Sox outfielders say something similar after every Red Sox win:
In 2017, why not have their walk-up songs say it?
"7 Years" - Lukas Graham
Our walk-up song recommendation: Mike Trout
In "7 Years," Graham takes a tour of his life, past and future. Well, the 2017 season will be Trout's seventh in MLB, and who wouldn't want to listen to a recap of those seven years?
Once I was 20 years old, I led the league in runs / And won AL Rookie of the Year …
You can imagine. But until someone writes that song, Trout will just have to use the original as his walk-up music.
"Work" - Rihanna
Our walk-up song recommendation: Bartolo Colon
"Work" could soundtrack any Major Leaguer's offseason workout videos. But Bartolo's workout videos -- and his whole MLB career, really -- are simply on another level.
They deserve to be soundtracked by Rihanna and Drake.
"Stressed Out" - Twenty One Pilots
Our walk-up song recommendation: For any player who breaks his bat over his knee in frustration.
For any player who feels like Carlos Gómez:
Or Jeff Samardzija:
Using "Stressed Out" as your walk-up song would be a good reminder that there's no reason to be so stressed out.