With the marathon 162-game regular season winding down this weekend, playoff baseball is in the air. Ahead of the 2025 MLB Playoffs, Major League Baseball launched its “October Hits Different” campaign on Thursday (Sept. 25).
The MLB recruited Grammy-winning multi-hyphenate Pharrell Williams and the choir group Voices of Fire star in the campaign trailer, setting the stage for the drama that is sure to unfold with playoff baseball.
Pharrell leads a performance featuring Voices of Fire and a 25-person live orchestra comprised of University of Miami students from the infield grass of an MLB ballpark.
“Time to let these maestros of the diamond shine,” P narrates the clip, which features highlights from superstars like Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Cal Raleigh and Kyle Schwarber.
“Virginia taught me the power of music and community,” Pharrell said in a statement. “Bringing Voices of Fire to the Postseason stage shows how those same forces of unity can come alive through sport.” The campaign is powered by Voices of Fire’s “Are You Ready?,” which is produced by Pharrell.
As the MLB heads into its final weekend of the regular season, there are plenty of playoff spots still up in the air, which should make for a thrilling next few days.
When those postseason matchups are finally set, the Wildcard round will begin on Sept. 3, which will continue until game one of the Fall Classic on Oct. 24. Ultimately, when the dust settles, only one team will reign supreme to lift the 121st World Series trophy.
“With October Hits Different, we wanted to capture the spectacle of the Postseason through music that feels just as monumental,” said Uzma Rawn Dowler, who serves as MLB’s CMO and SVP of global corporate partnerships. “The anthem ‘Are You Ready?’ by Voices of Fire, produced in collaboration with Pharrell and backed by a live orchestra, reflects the passion and intensity of the journey to the World Series and embodies the excitement of October baseball.”
Gear up for the playoffs and watch the “October Hits Different” video below.