Jose Iglesias had a single, “OMG,” debut at No. 1 in Billboard’s Latin digital song sales in July 2024. He dropped a new single, “Roto,” last month and on Sept. 25 will perform as musical alter ego Candelita at Petco Park.
The 35-year-old is also a veteran of 13 seasons in the majors, boasts some of the quickest glove transfers in the game and can kick up with ease.
Yeah, Jose Iglesias is an easy choice for a Padre who could hack it with the Savannah Bananas, who’ll bring their world tour to Petco Park on Sept. 5 and 6.
“I think he’d do the most cool (expletive) on the field,” Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove said. “I think his personality would fit in well. He could do a concert afterwards. It would fit in with the whole Banana game.”
Jose Iglesias #7 of the San Diego Padres and Jake Cronenworth #9 celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies at Petco Park on Friday, July 11, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Alas, Iglesias and the Padres are otherwise occupied for the Bananas’ visit — their dates at Coors Field next weekend is the reason Petco Park is free for the Bananas’ stop. Logistics didn’t keep the Padres from revealing which of their teammates they thought could best fold into a brand of baseball known for trick plays, dancing players and odd rules.
“(Iglesias) is an easy name, but I think (Jason) Adam will be sneaky good,” shortstop Xander Bogaerts said with a smile. “He’ll be great.”
Ryan O’Hearn is new to the Padres, but he played against Nick Pivetta plenty in the AL East.
“When he was in Boston, I was like, ‘Man, this guy’s … I don’t know about this guy,’” O’Hearn said after Pivetta played stopper with a dominant start — and thinks he’s got the demonstrative pitcher pegged now.
“He just seems like that kind of guy, can put on a show up there,” O’Hearn said. “He’s probably a good dancer. I could see him being half-naked out there with some eye black on and a bandana.
“Yeah, it’s right up his alley.”
Nick Pivetta (27) of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Petco Park on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Pivetta’s pitching coach agreed.
“Look at him,” Ruben Niebla said. “He’s halfway there to being a Banana. … He’s got energy. More energy than any person I’ve seen, and it takes a lot of energy to be out there and entertaining in some different kind of manner.”
Niebla thinks a lot of his relievers, too, so he believes David Morgan has what it takes on a different level: “He’s very athletic, so he’s capable of doing the back flips, the whole shebang,” Niebla said.
Asked for his pick, Morgan went right to a new teammate.
After all, “Nasty” Nestor Cortes is sight to behold with all the quirks he works into deliveries in a standard baseball game.
What would happen if he didn’t have to worry about a balk?
“He’s just goofy,” Morgan said. “If you talk to him, you get that vibe. He can do his weird mechanics on the mound, have a little dance probably and deliver the pitch.”
The personality is the reason Adam settled on fellow reliever Wandy Peralta.
“If you’re going for the humor — Wandy,” Adam said. “It’s hard to describe, but he’s just funny. He’s good with voices. He knows how to be funny and I don’t even know what he’s saying half the time. He’s just the best.”
Tyler Wade, currently with Triple-A El Paso, got a couple nods as having “that actor in him,” said Gavin Sheets, and being “a showman,” said Pivetta, but there’s also a clear consensus in the clubhouse:
Iglesias or Fernando Tatis Jr.
In fact, Manny Machado gave the nod to Iglesias after Tatis quipped “don’t say me” while within earshot of the question.
Plenty already had.
“If you’re going for the backflips, I feel like that’s Tatis’ range,” Adam said.
“He’ll do the squatting and jumping around and then he’ll hit a great homer,” Iglesias said.
Added Peralta through interpreter Jorge Merlos: “I feel like Tatis would be a good one to interact with a whole bunch of people and even with his teammates, so I’d really like to see him try out for the Savannah Bananas.”
For his part, Tatis picked a new teammate in Ramón Laureano — “he’s definitely a character; he’s just funny,” he said — but Michael King summed the decision just right.
Why not go with both Tatis and Iglesias?
“Tati’s probably a good one,” King said. “Iglesias has the performing skills under his belt. I’d say it’s a combination of those two guys.
“Those guys I would trust to put on a show.”