This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola’s Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
JUPITER, Fla. -- The hottest DJ set this spring isn’t at a Miami nightclub, but rather at the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex.
Workouts can feel long in the unforgiving South Florida heat leading up to Grapefruit League action. That’s where Marlins clubhouse attendant José Oviedo comes in.
Oviedo, who enters his seventh season with the organization, was tasked with putting together Spring Training music playlists that blare from large speakers on the back fields. It wasn’t a random ask, considering Oviedo does the same inside the visiting clubhouse at loanDepot park during the regular season.
“I'm very passionate about the music,” Oviedo said. “It's like a hobby to me. Never been a DJ before. I wish I had the skills. It's a hobby to me. I like it. It's my favorite hobby besides sports and baseball.
“In sport, it's essential, it's part of the game. Those guys like artists. They're celebrities, so it's something in common between them. And music is universal. Some of the guys, they don't know the lyrics, but they can feel the vibes from the music. It's like a link. It's attached to the vibe, to the sport, basically.”
Every morning, the music is turned on when the clubhouse opens. It’s usually country, jazz or R&B to ease everyone into the day’s work. Players can request specific songs or genres like bachata, but oftentimes they leave it up to Oviedo.
Of Oviedo’s 15 Spotify playlists -- some of which feature 60-70 songs -- the Latin mix is his favorite. It’s common to hear a wide range of artists from Post Malone to Toto to Morgan Wallen. Oviedo’s favorites Michael Jackson and Bad Bunny make appearances. So does his perfect baseball song: Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle.”
“I can catch the vibes around here in the clubhouse,” Oviedo said. “It's a multicultural team. I'm from Venezuela, Caribbean guy, Latin guy, so the music is so important to us.
“Sometimes it's like, ‘OK, it's Sunday, let's play something more chill.’ Or Saturday, ‘Let's hype the guys.’ Or, ‘It's Monday, let's start with something kind of cool, and then hype it up.’”
Some guys like shortstop Xavier Edwards sing along under their breath. Others like second baseman Otto Lopez dance to the salsa, reggaeton and dembow beats.
It’s hard not to jam when the tunes stream from an iPad at full volume. Rumor has it they can be heard on the Cardinals’ side of the complex.
“It gets us through it,” said Edwards, whose favorite artist is Travis Scott. “It kind of makes us lose track of time and just enjoy where we're at. It's a bit different when it's all quiet and kind of serious and business like. We're still getting after it, but it can be a little more light hearted, and we can have fun with it.”
Added Lopez: “It just hyped me up. It’s very loud, too, but that's one of the things, part of when we're running. I just feel like we're in the stadium.”
You’ll hear no complaints from manager Clayton McCullough.
The Marlins don’t shut off the music unless it’s time to practice communication drills. During a rare moment of quiet on Wednesday morning, No. 19 prospect Victor Mesa Jr. could be heard shouting, “OTTO! GET OUT THE WAY!” on a shallow fly ball to right field.
“Love the music,” said McCullough, whose favorite artist is Pearl Jam. “Environment and atmosphere is a big deal. When you're presenting something to players, but just even being out here and having the music going, we're going to demand and expect that they work hard -- and they will. The music vibes are good. It feels right, gets everybody a little bit looser. And golly, the stale quietness [isn’t fun]. I've nothing to do with the selections, but they've been on point.”
With unanimously positive feedback, Oviedo won’t need to give up the aux cord any time soon.
“Hopefully I'm not going to be a one-hit wonder,” Oviedo teased.