So, big disclaimer. I’m a lifelong Mets fan. I grew up watching the Mets when they were led by David Wright, Carlos Beltran, and Jose Reyes. Those teams were a lot of fun to watch. Wright was the Captain, Beltran was the slugger, and Reyes was the fastest man you’ve ever seen. It’s a damn shame that team never won anything significant.
Reyes won the National League Batting Title in 2011 and left the Mets in free agency. He joined the Marlins for 2012 and bounced around for a few years with Rockies and Blue Jays. Reyes was charged with domestic violence in 2016 although the charges were later dropped. He was still suspended for the incident. Reyes rejoined the Mets in 2016 and spent the next two seasons back in Queens before playing his last game in 2018. Reyes officially retired in 2020.
After baseball, Reyes decided to take up music and the result have been surprisingly good. To be totally honest, I was not expecting musical talent out of Reyes. Most athletes turned musical artists just don’t work out (looking at you Deion Sanders). Reyes may be the rare exception. Let’s look at some of his releases since hanging up his cleats.
Vivimo Caro – (2018)
Reyes’ first release in his young musical career isn’t bad at all. It’s pretty catchy which makes up for a lack of lyrical depth or clever wordplay. I prefer the remix of this song (which is a theme here) but the original isn’t bad whatsoever. If this comes on shuffle, I probably won’t skip it.
5 Mujeres – (2019)
This song is just fun, man. I’ve played this for groups who just enjoyed it for the beat. They’re generally shocked when I tell them that this is Jose Reyes. The revelation is usually followed up with, “yes, the baseball player”. I’ve thrown the remix of this song on a few party playlists and there’s rarely been a complaint.
Bonita – (2021)
And here comes the inspiration for this blog. Today’s new single from Reyes is actually pretty good. If you had told me two years ago that Jose Reyes would be in my regular rotation, I would have probably laughed in your face.
When the Mets win a World Series in the next few years (hello, Lindor), you can rest assured Jose Reyes will be in my celebration playlist.