240319 The Athletic: From Betts to BTS: K-pop walk-up songs for Dodgers, Padres MLB Seoul Series lineups

Cute little article with several nods/recs to our boys. For anyone who doesn’t know, the MLB opening game is being played in Seoul this year.

Walk up songs featuring BTS members:

Mookie Betts, SS
“Mic Drop” by BTS

A five-tool group for a five-tool player. Neither Betts nor BTS requires much introduction, though if you need one, they are a former MVP, seven-time All-Star, six-time Gold Glove winner, six-time Silver Slugger, and two-time world champion, and one of the most popular and best-selling groups in the world, respectively. Betts and BTS made their debuts within a year of each other and have spent the past decade displaying consistent mastery in their fields. It makes sense, then, that we should give the 31-year-old “Mic Drop,” the group’s first-ever Top 40 hit. It’s bouncy, confident (“Another trophy … / Too many that I can’t even count ‘em”) and a lot of fun, all words that could also describe the Dodgers’ new shortstop.

The cue: Why even bother having a chorus about stacking up trophies at 2:03 if Mookie Betts can’t walk up to it?

Shohei Ohtani, DH
“Daechwita” by Agust D

We should preface this by saying that Ohtani — a very nice and lovely guy, by all accounts — would probably never pick this song for himself. Loud, brash and lyrically cutthroat, “Daechwita,” named for the traditional military music once played to announce royalty, is a diss track about being so good at something that your competition might as well not exist. It’s also about being very rich (“Who says time is money / My time is worth more than that”) and the perils of becoming so successful so quickly that it borders on scary (“What’s next? Here comes my reality check / There’s nowhere higher”). He would never admit to it, but that really is Ohtani’s whole deal. The king, the boss, etc. etc.

The cue: If it’s not the very first note, then it must be the now-legendary flow switch at 2:43.

Will Smith, C
“That That” by Psy feat. Suga

Will Smith is a man with a sense of humor. In 2020 and 2021, he walked up to the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” theme song by another Will Smith, a man you might remember from all of the good ’90s movies and one unfortunate incident at a recent Oscars ceremony. That Will Smith was in a less-good ’90s movie called “Wild Wild West” and performed a song by the same name for the film’s soundtrack.

The music video for that song was likely a rough blueprint for “That That,” an equally comedic and camp western romp. Psy’s — yes, that guy — charming but effective rap skills and shockingly energetic choreography (he’s 46!) bring back a similar level of nostalgia and the chorus is maybe the most built-for-sports hook on this entire list. We think Smith will like that.

The cue: That aforementioned hook, beginning around 1:04.

Jake Cronenworth, 1B
“More” by j-hope

Cronenworth has had a difficult spell, undergoing what was a career-worst season in 2023 and being the subject of trade talks this past offseason. The 31-year-old infielder has been vocal about his trials while also detailing his hopes for a future turnaround.

“For the next seven years, I want to win. That’s all I want to do — put our team in a position to do that,” Cronenworth said last summer.

“More,” by BTS rapper j-hope, is a dark, introspective tune that details similar fears as he touches on his desires and insecurities in the wake of his group’s overwhelming success (“Keep my passion, I gotta go / I’m still not enough”). It’s a moody but hopeful song about trusting one’s instincts, perhaps one Cronenworth could take some inspiration from.

Another connection? “More” contains plenty of bending synths, spooky ad-libs and a mid-tempo beat, all elements of Cronenworth’s current walk-up staple, “Keep Their Heads Ringin’” by Dr. Dre.

The cue: The “Bring it all / I’m doing it all” at 2:16 before the final chorus hits.

Jurickson Profar, OF
“Crush Hour” by Crush feat. j-hope

Much like K-pop fans, sports fans love to use nicknames for their favorite pairings. There are the Bash Brothers, Splash Brothers, the Twin Towers and the M&M Boys, to name a handful.

For Padres fans in certain internet spaces, there is “Crush Hour,” an adoring nickname for the duo of Ha-Seong Kim and Jurickson Profar. Inspired by the 1998 film “Rush Hour,” it’s a catchy tag and indicative of Profar’s joyful personality on and off the field, as well as his ability to get traffic moving on the bases. Besides the title, “Rush Hour” is a fun pick for another reason — it’s performed by K-R&B artist Crush and j-hope, who give off the same comedic energy as San Diego’s beloved buddies.

The cue: The “This is crush hour, crush hour, crush hour” refrain at 2:34.