Ever since his shock signing with the Dodgers this offseason, Edwin Díaz had been waiting to hear the trumpets blare for his Chavez Ravine debut.
What he wasn’t expecting: For the team to enlist a live trumpeter to ring in the occasion.
“I heard a trumpet sounding before I was coming out, and I said, ‘No way, they got a live trumpet,’” Díaz said after closing out the Dodgers’ 5-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. “It was pretty fun. I enjoyed it. And I know fans enjoyed it, too.”
It was eight years ago, during his ascension as one of the league’s top closers with the New York Mets, that Díaz first used “Narco” by Timmy Trumpet as his walk-out music for when he entered games.
Edwin Diaz throws to the plate during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP
Ever since, the song has created an aura around the three-time All-Star reliever.
If his upper-90s mph fastball wasn’t intimidating enough, the thumping trumpet tune only amplified the dread for each of his appearances.
“Edwin is somebody who has a long track record of dominance,” general manager Brandon Gomes said the day of Díaz’s introductory press conference back in December. “And on top of that, we feel like he also has probably the most electric walkout song in the game.”
Thus, for his team debut this week, the Dodgers tried to elevate the in-game experience.
As Díaz emerged from the bullpen for Friday’s ninth inning, a spotlight illuminated the left-field home run deck behind him. There, professional trumpeter Tatiana Tate appeared, brass instrument in hand.
“It was insane,” teammate Alex Freeland said afterward.
“It was bumping out there,” fellow offseason arrival Kyle Tucker told SportsNet LA.
Indeed, as the ballpark lights dimmed and Tate (clad in a No. 3 Díaz Dodgers jersey) belted out the iconic “Narco” beat, an eager crowd at Dodger Stadium broke out in a frenzy.
“I got word that there might be a trumpet player,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I think the fans got what they were hoping for.”
Roberts might’ve been the only one in the Dodgers’ dugout aware of the special performance the club had planned.
Everyone else –– Díaz included –– didn’t realize what was happening until seeing Tate on the stadium video boards.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Díaz (3) reacts after the final out against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
“Everybody was waiting for that moment,” said outfielder Teoscar Hernández, who purposely hung back in the dugout to take in the scene. “I wanted to watch everything. Him coming out of the bullpen. Getting all the way to the mound.”
With a smile, Hernández then added: “Happy that he’s here (playing for the Dodgers) now.”
Four months removed from his three-year, $69 million signing, after all, Díaz’s presence in Los Angeles still registers as a surprise.
Entering the offseason, the industry assumption was that he’d end up back with the Mets, the team with which he’d recorded 144 of his 253 career saves. In New York, the right-hander was a fan favorite, with his trumpeting entrances becoming a beloved staple of summer nights at Citi Field.
That didn’t mean Díaz felt conflicted about hearing his old song in his new home stadium.
Asked if the moment was weird for him, the 32-year-old shook his head.
“My goal is to help this team to win,” he said. “I was in New York, but now I’m here. And I’m enjoying the time with this team.”
Same goes for the Dodgers, who entered this offseason looking for a closer, and wound up adding an all-encompassing ninth-inning experience.
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