This A's pitcher doubles as team DJ

This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos’ A’s Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

A’s right-hander James Kaprielian has been crafting together Spotify music playlists since his college days at UCLA. He estimates his number of playlists out there at somewhere in the 40-50 range, and that’s after he had to delete “a bunch” last month to clear space for newer ones.

Now serving as Oakland’s team DJ, Kaprielian has a passion for tunes and takes pride in getting the mood right in the clubhouse before and after games, especially on days when he is pitching. We discuss that and more in this week’s edition of Walk-Up Chronicles:

MLB.com: You recently changed your walkout song to “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio for your past two starts at the Coliseum. What was the inspiration behind that selection?

Kaprielian: Honestly, there’s not really an inspiration. It’s just something I was bumping before games and it kind of was making me feel like a bad man. I asked myself, ‘Why isn’t this my walkout song?’ I switched it up and I like it. I think I’m going to keep it for a while.

What is the process you go through when you’re thinking of a walkout song?

Kaprielian: Everyone wants to feel a certain way when they walk onto the field. Whether that’s something to soothe someone and calm them down or get amped up. Or a little bit of both. When you hear songs as a baseball player, at least for me, I hear something and if it’s something I would want to feel, I’d be like, ‘Dang this would be a sweet walkout song.’ Sometimes when I hear songs, I send it to like [Seth Brown] or Tony [Kemp] and tell them it should be their walkout song. Most of the time, they stiff-arm me.

Minors or Majors, is there another walk-up song other than your own that you’ve heard that stuck out as one you really enjoyed?

Kaprielian: There’s a lot of guys who, over the years, they keep that same one that sticks. For me, I always think of Justin Verlander walking out to “Till I Collapse” by Eminem. When guys kind of have that one song that they always keep, I think that’s pretty cool. You hear the song and everyone knows that person is coming. You’re sending the message when that song comes on. Verlander’s had a pretty impressive career, so that song has been bumping and continues to bump.

Do you still put together Spotify playlists?

Kaprielian: Yeah. I’ve got like three I’m working on right now. I send them to my friends and they follow it. I’ll steal music from them and add it. I constantly share music with previous teammates, too.

Do you and Matt Chapman still share music?

Kaprielian: Yeah. I sent Chap some new music today, and he sent some last week. For people who enjoy music, it’s fun sending new and old tunes to each other.

How are you feeling about the current gameday playlist?

Kaprielian: We’ve got a good one. But I think we need to mix it up now and make some changes. I think it’s time. We need some more home wins and I think it starts with the BP music.