Law's 'High Hopes' fueled by family's love

This story was excerpted from Jessica Camerato’s Nationals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

WASHINGTON -- Some relievers on the Nationals choose warm-up music with a loud rock beat. Others run out to the mound to a country song. Right-hander Derek Law emerges from the bullpen to an upbeat pop rock song -- from a viral Sonic the Hedgehog video.

“High Hopes” by Panic! at the Disco is a fan favorite in the Law home. Law regularly checks in with his three children -- Nolan, 5, Maverick, 2, and Kendall, 1 -- to take requests. Last season, they chose “High Hopes,” which was used as the soundtrack to a Sonic compilation video that has over 5 million views on YouTube.

“When I hear it, I think about them for sure, no doubt,” Law said. “It’s kind of cool. I’d like to think anytime I hear it and they’re here, they’re running to the TV [in the Nationals' family room] and watching.”

Law’s first Major League warm-up track was “Renegade” by Styx -- an homage by the Pittsburgh native to the Steelers’ anthem. After a flurry of requests on social media, Law changed his song during his rookie season to “I Fought the Law” by the Crickets.

From there, he went with a variety of beats. Once his children began sharing input, he opted for the family selections.

“There are YouTubers, and they make kids toys and they review them,” Law said. “They have a bunch of songs. I used one of those one day, and everybody was like, ‘What the heck was that?’ I was like, ‘I don’t know exactly’ [laughs].”

The first time Law warmed up to “High Hopes” last season as a member of the Reds, he had success.

“That was my first save in a while,” Law said. “I was like, 'Let’s keep this rolling if they keep picking this.' I ask them like every week, ‘What do you want me to use?’”

The song has already become a multigenerational favorite. Maverick, who is an avid baseball fan at a young age, has taken to it.

“We’ll be hitting in the living room, and he wants me to announce his name -- ‘Now batting, No. 14, Maverick Law!’” Law said.

“And then he makes me sing ‘High Hopes.’ It’s his walkout song.”