A present from blink-182 holds significant value for the Padres catcher.

The day following his impressive home run that sent a souvenir into the left-center field bleachers of Petco Park during Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series, Kyle Higashioka was surprised with a special gift. Upon arriving at the clubhouse on Wednesday, he discovered a guitar propped against his locker. This was no ordinary guitar; it was a gift from Tom DeLonge, the lead singer of blink-182 and a passionate Padres supporter who had thrown the ceremonial first pitch prior to Tuesday's game. Higashioka's astonishment was evident as he exclaimed, "No way," a moment captured by the team's social media team. "That is unbelievable."

Higashioka, who joined the Padres as part of the significant Juan Soto trade in December, is a dedicated guitar enthusiast. He has garnered a devoted following, with teammate Jackson Merrill displaying a signed photograph of Higashioka playing the guitar above his locker. This same image serves as Higashioka's avatar on X. Like a child on Christmas morning, the 34-year-old veteran quickly took his new instrument to a room in the clubhouse, connected it to an amplifier, and played a riff from blink-182's popular song "All the Small Things."

Perhaps motivated by this experience, once "Higgy" set the guitar aside, he continued his impressive performance against the Braves, hitting a home run for the second consecutive night. This hit ignited a five-run second inning for the Padres in their series-clinching 5-4 victory, eliciting a jubilant response from the crowd at Petco Park—music that resonated with him.