Even those who don’t consider themselves baseball fans have likely heard the name of MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ designated hitter and pitcher. On top of being one of the most successful two-way players of all time, likened to baseball legend Babe Ruth, fans also love Ohtani for his affable, humble, and dorky (in a good way) personality.
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Indeed, one of the many reasons the online community calls Ohtani lovably nerdy is his walk-up song. Unlike many of his teammates who picked bold and brash hip-hop or heavy metal as their walk-up music, Ohtani’s is the jazzy, theatrical, and va-va-voomy Michael Bublé version of “Feeling Good”.
The song has been around since the mid-1960s, with renditions like Nina Simone’s becoming a certified jazz standard. Bublé’s version follows this same jazz tradition with a powerful horn feature on the song’s main descending line. It’s definitely a dramatic song—but not necessarily one that one would expect from an MLB player. While most people would have no problem writing off Ohtani’s choice as one of his quirks, Bublé wanted to know the real reason why the iconic baseball player would choose his song.
Ohtani’s answer proves that no matter how famous and successful you might become, listening to your wife is rarely a bad idea.
Shohei Ohtani Has Hilarious Reason for Using Michael Bublé’s Song
As a proud Canadian, crooner Michael Bublé has undoubtedly felt quite conflicted watching the 2025 World Series. On the one hand, how could he root for anyone but the Toronto Blue Jays? On the other hand, Shohei Ohtani (and, in turn, the rest of the L.A. Dodgers) certainly earned some favor from Bublé after the team’s star player chose the jazz singer’s 2005 version of “Feeling Good” as his walk-up music. Bublé discussed the significance of it in a 2025 interview with Stephen A. Smith.
“I’m a Canadian patriot, I fly the flag, I believe the red and white,” Bublé insisted. “But, but, there’s something deeply sensual about watching [him]. You know what it feels like, dude? Watching him go up and hearing myself, and then watching him do what he does? Like, I can’t believe that I am a small part of history. Like, for me, this is bigger.”
During an appearance on The Today Show, Bublé revealed that he was able to meet Ohtani and ask him point-blank why he used his song. “The coach of the Dodgers was nice enough to introduce me to Shohei, and I said, ‘Why did you choose my song?’ And very quickly, he just turned to his wife, and it was his wife that chose it. I’ll take it.”
Even if Ohtani’s wife was the one who chose Michael Bublé’s rendition of “Feeling Good”, there’s something fitting about the track just the same. Shohei Ohtani has brought back a traditional kind of baseball that prioritizes sportsmanship, hard work, and devotion over flash, ego, and fame. With Bublé’s version of “Feeling Good” harkening back to midcentury traditional pop á la the Rat Pack, Ohtani’s walk-up music feels right. Dare we say good?
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
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