This story was excerpted from the D-backs Beat newsletter, provided this week by Jake Rill, a reporter/producer for MLB.com based in Arizona. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Alek Thomas stepped to the plate for his first Major League at-bat on May 8 as a Sunday afternoon crowd at Chase Field greeted the D-backs’ top prospect with a warm ovation. Over the loudspeakers played a beat familiar to any fan of rap music over the past decade-and-a-half.

“A milli, a milli, a milli, a milli, a milli ... “

Every player gets to choose his walk-up song at his home ballpark, and for a rookie, it’s an opportunity to showcase a bit of his personality for the first time at this level -- or at least his musical preferences. Thomas went with the 2008 classic “A Milli” by Lil Wayne. But it wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. This past offseason, with his first callup on the horizon, he decided that he wanted to hear the bass from that song on a big league sound system.

“It sounded good in the car, so ...,” Thomas said.

After walking up to “Over” by Drake in the Minor Leagues, Thomas wanted a fresh start. Maybe the new song even brought him some early confidence, as the 22-year-old went 7-for-19 with a home run and three RBIs in seven games during his first homestand with Arizona.

Cooper Hummel also made his MLB debut at Chase Field this year when he drew a pinch-hit walk on Opening Day. Unlike Thomas, Hummel didn’t have to think hard about what song to walk up to. The 27-year-old outfielder had been using the same one for at least four or five seasons in the Minors -- “Hell & Back” by Kid Ink -- and had no plans of changing, because he identifies with the lyrics.

“My first few years of pro ball weren’t ideal. I’ve had to grind through some things,” Hummel said. “And high school was kind of the same way, college was the same way. [The song] just kind of resonated with me. I love the intro to it. So it kind of sticks, and for me, personally, it’s got more personal meaning behind it.”

Now that Thomas and Hummel are in the big leagues, they’ve gotten to frequently hear their D-backs teammates’ walk-up music. And they have some opinions to share.

Thomas joked that some players’ choices are “kind of corny” -- like Geraldo Perdomo’s selection of “In da Club” by 50 Cent. Hummel was surprised to find out that Madison Bumgarner -- who has typically warmed up to country music in the past -- changed his song to “Hypnotize” by The Notorious B.I.G. for 2022.

“He’s walking out to Biggie and I’m like, ‘Oh wow, OK,’” Hummel said. “And then I found out this is kind of like he’s turning the page, he’s changed what he’s done in the past.”

Some D-backs players have two or three songs in their rotation. Some switch tunes midseason. As for Thomas, he isn’t committing to “A Milli” for the long term.

“If another banger comes out, then I might have to change it,” Thomas said.