MLB Closer Entrance Song Rankings, 2022 Edition

30. WAS: Tanner Rainey: Hurricane –– The Band of Heathens

This isn"t necessarily a bad song, but it sounds more like a lullaby than an entrance song. Maybe Rainey is trying to sing his opponents to sleep, though that doesn"t add any value to it. The song references Louisiana, which makes it a little easier to understand why the Louisiana native chose it. There is some energy, but not for over two and a half minutes into the song, and it"s not nearly enough to make a difference.

29. LAA: Raisel Iglesias: El Rey –– Vicente Fernández

“El Rey" translates to “The King" in Spanish, which should make for a good entrance. However, there"s almost no energy to it. This gets ranked ahead of Rainey"s choice just because the title of the song is a little more intimidating. Still, this is a pretty weak selection.

28. STL: Giovanni Gallegos: El Indio Enamorado –– Grupo Laberinto

Gallegos checks in with the same selection he had last year, and again it just doesn"t stack up with the rest of the league. The trumpets at the beginning save it, but other than that, there"s almost nothing to it. It"s hard to rank this one much higher than right here.

27. MIA: Anthony Bender: Fancy –– Iggy Azalea

This song isn"t really intimidating, but Bender gets some points for providing a little comedic value. It"s hard to imagine many people picking “Fancy" for an entrance or walk-up song, and it definitely could catch people off guard. It still isn"t a great selection, but it"s a little better than the ones ranked below it.

26. TB: Andrew Kittredge: #1 Zero –– Audioslave

There are so many great Audioslave songs to choose from, but Kittredge picked one of the weakest options. The energy is lacking in almost every aspect, but at least the lyrics are a little intimidating. Other closers have used Audioslave songs in the past, most of which are significantly better than this one.

25. CHC: David Robertson: Sweet Home Alabama –– Lynyrd Skynyrd

Robertson was born in Birmingham, went to high school in Tuscaloosa, and played for the Alabama Crimson Tide in college, making it easy to understand why he"d pick this song. While this is a pretty catchy song and there"s a little energy, it isn"t very intimidating at all.

24. DET: Gregory Soto: Bojo Mundo –– Bulin 47

This is where the gap between each selection gets a little tighter. While Soto"s pick isn"t great by any stretch, the energy is miles ahead of the lower-ranked songs. It isn"t super intimidating, but it"s still a decent choice by the fireballing southpaw.

23. SFG: Camilo Doval: Curazao –– El Alfa & Farruko

Similar to Soto"s pick, Doval selected a song with high energy but not much of an intimidation factor. The vocals are pretty intense sounding, but the instrumental doesn"t quite match it. Still, it"s not hard to see how it can get people fired up.

22. CLE: Emmanuel Clase: No Tengo Para –– El Mayor Classico x Rochy RD

Just like the last two picks, Clase"s selection has great energy off the top, but it"s mainly just from the vocals. It"s a slight step forward from Doval"s selection because there"s a little more intensity and the lyrics sound more intimidating.

21. COL: Daniel Bard: Going Down –– Freddie King

Unlike the previous three selections, Bard picked a song with great energy in the instrumental, but it"s really lacking in the vocals. The title “Going Down" makes it sound intimidating, but it"s still missing a lot of intensity. Still, this is a slight step forward from Clase"s pick.

20. MIN: Emilio Pagan: Praise God –– Kanye West

There are several great Kanye West songs to pick from, but this one just doesn"t quite stack up with the rest of them. It"s not a bad pick by any means, and the rapping is very good, but there also isn"t a ton of instrumental to back it up. It"s decently intimidating, but it leaves a lot to be desired.

19. HOU: Ryan Pressly: God’s Gonna Cut You Down –– Johnny Cash

Pressly"s pick has been used by a few closers in the past decade. It"s pretty similar to Pagan"s, but it"s slightly better in every category. Johnny Cash"s voice alone can add an intimidation factor, as does the thumping and clapping at the beginning. Perhaps the better version of this song to use would be the one by Marilyn Manson.

18. SEA: Diego Castillo: CAMPEÓN –– Daddy Yankee

The Mariners don"t have an official closer yet, but Castillo is the only pitcher who has a save this year that also has a song listed on the team"s playlist. The energy right from the start is pretty good, but it is super intimidating and it isn"t really catchy. Regardless, it"s a pretty solid choice by the righty, one of many viable options by Daddy Yankee.

17. BAL: Jorge López: Le Gozadera –– Gente de Zona

López"s selection is ranked ahead of Castillo"s because not only is the energy a bit better, but it feels like it could get a stadium dancing a bit. It"s similar to Castillo"s pick in the way that it isn"t super intimidating, but the vibes are better in this one.

16. PIT: Chris Stratton: Brother –– NEEDTOBREATHE

This doesn"t necessarily intimidate opponents but it has a heroic feeling to it, especially during the chorus. The energy is pretty solid all around, and it"s easy to see how this could fire people up. Overall, this isn"t a bad pick from Stratton.

15. SD: Taylor Rogers: The Chain –– Fleetwood Mac

This isn"t a super conventional pick by Rogers, but it can make for a solid entrance. The chorus supplies almost all of the energy, but that also comes with a decent amount of intimidation. If that energy was sprinkled in more throughout the song, it would be ranked higher.

14. KC: Scott Barlow: The Waltz –– Left Lane Cruiser

Barlow"s selection isn"t spectacular, but it"s pretty solid all around. The guitar and drums are great, and the vocals are pretty intense, but they aren"t very catchy and are pretty repetitive.

13. CIN: Lucas Sims: No Good –– KALEO

There"s some early energy in this pick, and it continues throughout most of the song. It isn"t the most intimidating, but it can get a stadium rocking a bit better than Barlow"s selection.

12. PHI: Corey Knebel: Rocky Mountain Way –– Godsmack

While the Joe Walsh version of “Rocky Mountain Way" is the superior song, the Godsmack version makes for a better entrance. The only issue is that Godsmack got rid of the baseball reference in the line “bases are loaded and Casey"s at-bat", replacing it with “my .38"s loaded and I"m gonna crack." Aside from that, there"s a ton of energy and it certainly sounds intimidating.

11. CWS: Liam Hendriks: We Will Rock You –– DJs From Mars

Hendriks has used the same song ever since he became a closer, and the energy is certainly there. However, it"s just too confusing to follow, which detracts from its value.

10. LAD: Craig Kimbrel: Sweet Child O’ Mine –– Guns ‘N Roses

Kicking off the top 10, we have Craig Kimbrel, now pitching for his sixth different team. This isn"t the best Guns ‘N Roses song to choose from, but its iconic guitar solo in the intro makes for a great entrance. Kimbrel previously used “Welcome to the Jungle", which is considered one of the best entrance songs in sports.

9. OAK: Lou Trivino: The Violence –– Asking Alexandria

Trivino might not be Oakland"s closer for long, but he picked an electric entrance song. The energy is strong from the first chords, and it stays pretty high throughout. If the singer didn"t sound like he was just yelling, this song would probably rank higher.

8. TOR: Jordan Romano: Tsunami –– DVBBS

Romano"s selection also gets rocking early, and it barely dies down. When the instrumental dies down, the intensity of the vocals picks up, and then they come together nicely during the chorus. There isn"t much room to improve here.

7. BOS: Hansel Robles: Rest in Peace (Undertaker) –– Jim Johnston WWE

This song is entirely instrumental, but in all honesty, it probably doesn"t need any lyrics. It sounds like someone"s making a grand entrance, and the intensity is top-notch. Robles has used this theme ever since his days with the Angels, and he gets bonus points for this awesome entrance video that gets paired with it.

6. TEX: Joe Barlow: Hillbilly Deluxe –– Brooks and Dunn

People don"t normally love country music for an entrance, but this selection actually works really well. It"s intimidating, there"s great energy, and it"s fitting that someone playing in Texas chose it. All in all, this might be the best country music selection we"ve ever had.

5. ATL: Kenley Jansen: Welcome To Atlanta –– Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris

After using “California Love" during his tenure with the Dodgers, Jansen picks another great city-inspired song. The energy from the vocals and the instrumental is strong throughout, and it"s easy to see how it can get Truist Park going.

4. NYY: Aroldis Chapman: Wake Up –– Rage Against the Machine

It feels like Chapman has been using this song forever, and it still makes for a great entrance, just like RATM songs. The intensity from the instrumental starts out great, and when it briefly dies down, the fast-paced lyrics keep the energy going. This is a near-perfect selection.

3. ARI: Mark Melancon: Thunderstruck –– AC/DC

“Thunderstruck" will most likely never get old. It doesn"t matter where or when this song is played, it will always get people rocking. The only issue that holds it back is how frequently it gets played since it feels like every sports venue across the world plays it. Regardless, it"s hard to go wrong with some AC/DC.

2. MIL: Josh Hader: Izzo (H.O.V.A.) –– Jay-Z

Despite changing songs, Hader remains in the second spot for the third year in a row. This might be the best Jay-Z song to use for an entrance, as the intensity from the instrumental matches Jay"s rapping the entire way. Maybe one day Hader will crack the top spot, but he just misses out once again.

1. NYM: Edwin Díaz: Narco –– Blasterjaxx Feat. Timmy Trumpet

There isn"t much to say about “Narco" other than stating that it is absolutely electrifying. After experiencing a full season of it blaring out of the Citi Field loudspeakers every time Díaz entered a game, it"s impossible for this to not be the top-ranked entrance song. From the first drum beat to the trumpets, the stadium is rocking, and then it all culminates in the few lyrics of the song before a ridiculous base drop. If this song doesn"t get your blood pumping, then what does?

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