LOS ANGELES — He could have been named Kendrick Lamar, or John Mellencamp, or Engelbert Humperdinck, and perhaps the coincidence would be so powerful as to choose a walk-up song for him. This was not the case for Will Smith on the occasion of his major league debut Tuesday.

The Dodgers’ catcher was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He shares a name with an entertainer born and raised in West Philadelphia, and thousands of others who will never record a piece of music. For better or worse, Will Smith the rapper is credited with 175 songs on AllMusic.com, an enviably long list to choose from.

Will Smith has to walk up to Will Smith, right?

“You know, he probably gets it a lot on road games,” Dodgers first baseman Matt Beaty said. “I think he should have the flexibility to do something different at home because he gets it all the time. He could probably mix it in at home, have a couple different walk-up songs. He probably gets tired of it.”

“That would be kind of funny,” shortstop Corey Seager said, “like (Kyle) Farmer walking out to ‘Welcome to the Farm’.”

Teammate Max Muncy agreed.

“But a lot of times,” Muncy said, “a walk-up song is more than just a song for certain people. It’s whatever he feels is the best choice for him. That’s how I look at it.”

This is not how Smith looks at it.

Befitting his background, Smith walked up to a country tune prior to his at-bats at Triple-A Oklahoma City. But he was so overwhelmed with higher priorities Tuesday, he could not remember the name of the song, let alone relay a specific request to the Dodger Stadium DJ booth.

“A few more important things, sure,” Smith said.

That left the choice to Lanier Stewart, the Dodger Stadium disc jockey who performs under the moniker DJ Severe. He was concerned that associating Smith the baseball player with Smith the rapper from Day 1 would be an irreversible decision, that the Fresh Prince could never grow stale.

This has happened elsewhere in baseball. Chris Taylor, the Dodgers’ utility player, cited the example of Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon. His at-bats have become an occasion for crowd sing-alongs to “Your Love,” a 1980s hit for the British rock band The Outfield.

“He can’t change that one,” Taylor said of Blackmon. “Fans really get into it.”

Stewart’s choice for Smith’s walk-up track? “What So Not” by Jaguar, a popular club track from 2013.

“Until he settles in,” Stewart said. “I’m sure something will come to mind.”

For a few hours Tuesday afternoon, Stewart had Jaguar queued up for Smith’s first at-bat. But Dodgers catcher Russell Martin had something else in mind: the theme song to “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” Will Smith’s signature track and one of the most recitable television tunes ever.

Martin said he hatched the idea when he saw Smith in the trainer’s room.

“I asked him if he had picked his walk-up song. He said no,” Martin said. “I threw it out there. He said, ‘yeah, that’s what I was thinking.’ I relayed that message to someone who could play it and he picked it for him.

“It loosened things up a bit. It’s fitting. If I was Will Smith, I would walk up to that. It’s a good play.”

Martin, 36, made his major league debut in 2006, when Smith was 11 years old. He probably could have suggested anything from baroque to acid jazz and the rookie would have complied.

“Luckily it was a Will Smith song, a good one,” Smith said. “So it worked out tonight.”

Stewart made the switch just before the game. At 7:48 p.m., Smith strode to the plate for the first time. The song played. The crowd buzzed.

With a name like Will Smith … what else could your walk-up song be? pic.twitter.com/iyMJjXIiy8 — MLB (@MLB) May 29, 2019

Smith was behind in the count 1-and-2 when Mets pitcher Steven Matz left a fastball over the plate. Smith scorched a ground ball under the glove of shortstop Amed Rosario into left field, scored a base hit. The Fresh Prince was batting 1.000.

Related Articles Hoornstra: Baseball awards voting deserves less numerical approach in 2020

Julio Urias strong in bulk but Dodgers lose to A’s in ninth

Dodgers’ Max Muncy: ‘You have to realize that it really isn’t about you’

Dodger ace Clayton Kershaw releases new beer

Photos: Dodgers clinch the NL West crown Before the game, Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson said a Smith-Smith walk-up connection “could be catchy.” He walked up to the same track during the 2016 season.

Pederson has changed his tune several times since. Smith might not have the same luxury.

ALSO

Manager Dave Roberts said that left-hander Tony Cingrani, whose latest minor league rehabilitation stint was cut short with recurrent shoulder pain, is still awaiting further examination. There is no timetable for his return. … The American and National League All-Star ballots went live at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Fans can vote online to determine the three finalists at each position (except pitcher) in each league until June 21. … The game will be played July 9 at Cleveland’s Progressive Field.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (RHP Walker Buehler) vs. Mets (RHP Noah Syndergaard), Wednesday, 7 p.m., SportsNetLA (where available), 570 AM