A night to remember: BTS’s V delivers strike and star power at Dodger Stadium

On Monday night, August 25 (local time), Kim Taehyung, aka V of BTS, lit up Dodger Stadium as he stepped onto the mound to throw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Cincinnati Reds game.

Wearing a No. 7 Dodgers jersey tucked casually into his faded jeans, Taehyung bowed respectfully to Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto before taking the mound. With his trademark composure, he wound up and delivered a clean left-handed strike, sending the stadium into thunderous cheers.

After the pitch, Taehyung took the microphone to officially open the game, declaring, “It’s time for Dodger baseball,” to which the crowd responded with a roar.

The Dodgers had announced his appearance more than a week in advance, prompting fans to line up hours before the game to catch a glimpse of him.

According to StubHub, ticket prices soared to more than five times their original cost following the news, and the Dodgers became the most searched MLB team on Google over the past week.

The sellout crowd of 49,702, a mix of baseball diehards and BTS’s ARMY,erupted not only during his pitch but also whenever he appeared on the jumbotron.

Before taking the mound, Taehyung stopped by the dugout to greet Dodgers players, including a memorable embrace with baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani. The brief hug between the global music icon and baseball’s biggest phenomenon became one of the evening’s standout moments. 

Taehyung also shared warm interactions with several other Dodgers players, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Tommy Edman and Kike Hernández.

With his effortless charm and global star power, Taehyung ensured that the night will be remembered as one of the most iconic crossovers between K-pop and sports.