The most underrated singing sensation in the country is Pirates pitcher Steven Brault
The music business can be a challenge these days. The era of digital streaming platforms, the death of the compact disc and a number of other factors make it increasingly difficult for artists to stand out and make an impression.
Word of mouth is key, and exposure is everything. And on Sunday, a young man from San Diego made a claim for himself as a buzzworthy artist well worth your attention: Pirates left-hander Steven Brault, who absolutely crushed the national anthem before Pittsburgh hosted the Cardinals at PNC Park.
If you're confused, I understand. Brault is a baseball player. But he's also a singer -- and a great one at that. Originally trained in vocal performance back in college at Regis University, Brault can really belt it. He sang the anthem at a Pirates game in 2018, and this latest performance was an encore. He's so good, he got to do it two times.
Enjoy this beautiful voice.
— Pirates (@Pirates) September 8, 2019
We now present @SquidBrault's rendition of the National Anthem. pic.twitter.com/T00eovcLKt
Back around his first anthem performance last summer, Brault told MLB.com's Adam Berry that, "It's something specifically my grandma always wanted me to do," and now he's done it twice. He's the world's best grandson, really.
I can't carry a note to save my life, but here's Brault, a Major League baseball player, handling the vocal challenges of the national anthem like a seasoned pro. And that's because he is -- as not only does Brault have vocal experience in college he also fronts a San Diego-era band known as the Street Gypsies.
Here's Brault and his band tackling the old-school Aerosmith classic "Mama Kin":
Shohei Ohtani of the Angels gets all the headlines as a two-way star for the Angels, and rightly so -- he hits and pitches at an elite level when healthy and at his best. But Brault may be that ever elusive triple threat: He pitches, he sings and he hits prodigious 441-foot home runs:
On behalf of myself and everybody else, Steven, I say: You're making us all look bad, man!
But in all honesty, it's a great thing to see a baseball player excelling in ways beyond the diamond. It's a cliche, sure, but after Brault hangs up hits cleats for the last time years in the future, he ought to definitely be able to start up a post-playing music career.
Consider this your wake-up call to join the Steven Brault Music Fan Club.
Adrian Garro joined MLB.com in 2016. Throughout his travels, both Bartolo Colon and Vin Scully have placed their hands on his shoulders. Not at the same time, though. That'd be amazing.
