Mets ‘Candelita’ Jose Iglesias has ‘OMG’ vibes

Jose Iglesias had been out of the major leagues for more than a year before by the Mets promoted him on May 31. In between big league stints with the Colorado Rockies in 2022 and his return to the majors with the Mets, there were plenty of reasons for the Cuban infielder to give up.

The veteran third baseman had been granted free agency by the Rockies and signed and released by the San Diego Padres three times. The Miami Marlins also signed and released him once in that period.

Iglesias, who goes by the stage name “Candelita” (Little Candle), had reason to believe it was time to devote his entire time to his singing career. He never gave up hope, though. Neither did his Mets’ teammates on their way to a Division Series showdown with the NL East rival Philadelphia Phillies.

The Mets’ resurgence fittingly lives up to Iglesias’ viral hit “OMG!” which has become the 2024 Mets’ anthem.

‘OMG’

“It’s a special moment for ‘OMG,” he says. “It’s a dream come true. To get it done any way it’s special, but the way it’s been done is extremely special. It’s a movie that we’re in right now.”

At the end of May the Mets were 24-33. Two days later the Mets were 11 games under .500. According to Fangraphs, on June 2, the Mets had a 7.9 percent chance of making the postseason. They had a 3.7 percent chance of reaching the Division Series. 

The Mets celebrated their NL Wild Card Series win late Thursday night by posing with blue and orange “OMG” signs. Jose Iglesias’ hit single “OMG” blared in the clubhouse as they drenched each other in champagne.

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The celebration was followed by a team photo with the signs. The “OMG” posters have been a staple of the Mets season, as they proudly use them to celebrate an accomplishment. 

The song was written by Iglesias and Cuban salsa singer Guianko Gomez. The one-time All-Star even performed the song in July during the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game festivities in Arlington, Texas. He also has many Mets fans blasting the song throughout Queens too. The song was released on June 24.

Pitbull collaboration

“OMG” became so popular that Iglesias created a remix with Grammy winning rapper Pitbull and Colombian Vallenato singer Silvestre Dangond. The remix is set to debut on Oct. 11. 

“It’s special,” Iglesias said about collaborating with Pitbull. “I can say 2024 for me, for the New York Mets, for everything that has happened it’s a dream come true. It’s a unique situation that we have.”

“Oh my God,” is what many baseball fans have been chanting about the Mets miraculous wins. The Mets played a doubleheader against the Braves after their series was postponed due to rain. After failing to score in the first six innings on Game 1 of the doubleheader, the Mets trailed Atlanta. 

It took a two-run home run by Francisco Lindor in the ninth for the Mets to clinch their first playoff berth since 2022. It’s also the 11th time in franchise history that the Mets have made the playoffs.

The Havana native’s resurgence has helped the Mets return to the postseason. The 12-year veteran was in Class AAA with the Padres all of last year. Jose Iglesias failed to make New York’s major league roster at the start of the season. Once promoted, he made a lasting impact.

Long road back

Iglesias finished the season batting .337. He had a .448 slugging percentage and a .830 OPS. Although he hit only four home runs, Iglesias had 91 hits and 26 RBIs. He had a 22-game hitting streak to end the regular season. The streak was the longest of his career and the longest for the Mets this season. 

“Yeah, he is a good hitter,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of Iglesias. “I think he’s a different hitter in this type of era, where it’s the homers and it’s the walks.

"OMG"

Latin music star and Mets infielder Jose Iglesias meets Shohei Ohtani at the #HRDerby pic.twitter.com/xJZehZ5UAf

— MLB (@MLB) July 16, 2024

“This is a guy that puts the ball in play, and when you put the ball in play, a lot of times good things happen. When you’re facing good pitching, you need that, and he’s done that.”

The Mets have certainly surprised many by reaching the Division Series. As the Mets head to Philadelphia to face a strong Phillies team, Mets fans surely hope for “OMG” moments.