Mets’ Jose Iglesias wrote a song called “OMG” and the players are obsessed with it

ARLINGTON, Texas – After each win during the New York Mets’ recent winning streak, loud music would blare through the walls of their locker room, with a familiar voice singing a catchy chorus that set the mood for the season.

After the players’ postgame speeches, someone turns the speakers up to full volume and veteran infielder Jose Iglesias’ unreleased song “OMG” plays over and over again.

When the chorus comes, everyone sings along to the part that goes, “Oh! My! God!”

“We sing it, we hum it all the time,” said 38-year-old reliever Adam Ottavino, who has played with other music-producing teammates in the past but has never seen anything as well-received as Iglesias’ song. “This one definitely got the most traction in the locker room.”

When the Mets hit a home run, the players celebrate by singing the chorus of Iglesias’ song. Lately, that song hasn’t just been heard in the locker room and dugout. At New York’s last home game, “OMG” blared from the stadium speakers at Citi Field every time a player hit a home run.

In addition to playing 12 years in the major leagues and making the All-Star team once, the 34-year-old Iglesias from Cuba creates Latin pop music under the name Candelita. On May 31, he introduced “OMG” to the Mets as his walk-up song when he joined the club from Triple-A Syracuse. Since then, the Mets (35-38) have coincidentally won 12 of 17 games.

During an interview Wednesday about the song, his music career and its impact on the Mets, Iglesias said veteran hitter JD Martinez urged him to play “OMG” for the team shortly after his call-up. Martinez said he told Iglesias, “Brother, that’s a good song. We’ve got to play it. We’ve got to get through this. We’ve got to use it.” The song became a hit. The ritual followed.

“It was all this guy’s idea,” Iglesias said, nodding toward Martinez, who was sitting in the locker next door.

“Wait, you’re talking about OMG?” asked Martinez. “The best song ever.”

From then on, Martinez wanted to be part of the interview, hoping for the opportunity to simultaneously annoy a close friend and ask the big question.

Martinez asked, “So, Iglesias, why haven’t you released the song on iTunes yet? You know, so the fans can listen to it?”

In the pained tone of someone who has heard the same question from the same person countless times, Iglesias replied, “I know. I know. I know.”

Martinez, playing the role of the persistent reporter, was not satisfied with the answer, and so a back and forth ensued.

Martinez: “But people really want to listen.”

Iglesias: “I know. It’s July 3rd.”

Martinez: “You said that.”

Iglesias: “I know. That’s what is needed. You have to send it to all platforms. It’s a process.”

With a sly grin, Martinez walked away and said, “Give the people what they want, Iglesias.”

Iglesias then added context, saying, “It’s a process and it was supposed to be July 5th, but we’re moving faster because JD was after me. But it’s very exciting. I can’t wait. I’ve had a few singles before. But this one…”

Iglesias didn’t finish his sentence. He just smiled. “OMG,” he said later, was undoubtedly one of his favorite songs.

Iglesias described “OMG” as a song about getting through tough times and staying positive. He wrote the lyrics during the last offseason. Iglesias described a picturesque setting the night the song was written: He was sitting at a table in his home, looking out a glass door at his 150-acre ranch 90 minutes west of Miami, where animals roamed peacefully, stars covered the sky and his family was having fun. While admiring the scene, he said, he thought to himself, “This is the kind of energy I need, and anything negative should just be pushed away.”

The text immediately impressed him.

Oh my God, everything is bad, that’s all

(Everything that is bad, push it aside)

Oh my God, lady, health and prosperity

(Give me health and prosperity)

For the first time in eight years, Iglesias did not play a major league game in 2023. He said he had more time to focus on his music career, but he also wanted to continue playing baseball. The thought of still being able to help a team nagged at him. He did not want to regret giving up the game too early.

In early December, the Mets signed Iglesias to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training. Iglesias has long been considered a smooth fielder, but the Mets thought he could offer something on offense as well. They wanted him to improve his exit velocity and worked with him to hit the ball more consistently and confidently. In 42 games (175 batting appearances) with Syracuse, Iglesias (47 career home runs, .702 OPS in 4,073 major league batting appearances) hit seven home runs with a .751 OPS. Had the Mets not given him a chance, they would have urged their teams to give him a chance, according to several pro scouts from opposing clubs.

Since joining the Mets, Iglesias has made several starts at second base as the club’s backup infielder. He has struck out 10 of 27 pitches (.370 batting average) with a 0.3 fWAR. He has played well defense — and hard, too. In the ninth inning of the Mets’ 7-6 victory on Tuesday, Iglesias, who came on as an eighth-inning substitute, took a hard slide from pinch runner Davis Wendzel of the Texas Rangers at second base after receiving a pass from shortstop Francisco Lindor and still managed to make the double play, firing a perfect throw to first base despite flipping in the air. Left fielder Brandon Nimmo, who later compared the play to a quarterback getting hit while throwing to a receiver, ran into the infield to give Iglesias a hug.

“That says a lot about what’s been going on here lately, how much they care about each other and how much they want it,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Look, Iglesias has been great. Even when he’s not playing, it’s his presence, the conversations in the dugout and his constant willingness to work. It’s good to have a player like that here.”

For any team – especially one like the Mets, who had a terrible May before turning things around in the last few weeks – it’s important to have a player like Iglesias because he plays hard, brings a positive attitude and lifts the mood.

A catchy song also helps.

“This is a dream come true,” Iglesias said. “I make music because I love it, and I use it as a message to inspire people who are going through hard times in their lives. It’s a great way to send a message to the world. And I’m just really touched by how these guys are handling it here.”

Mets star first baseman Pete Alonso recently told Iglesias, “Hey, we play it because we love it. We don’t just play it because you wrote it. No. We play it because it’s great.”

“This means everything to me,” Iglesias said. “Oh, my God.”

(Photo Jose Iglesias: Globe Sam Hodde / Getty Images)