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.
Welcome to Dodger Stadium, V! pic.twitter.com/sSl2k4W1wN
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 26, 2025
[#오늘의방탄] LA Dodgers 오늘의 시구자 #V
시원하게 스트라이크 날리고 왔습니다✌️⚾️
#오늘의뷔 #뷔 #BTS #방탄소년단 #레전드뷔주얼 #승리요정V pic.twitter.com/5K5jNGHMJS
— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) August 26, 2025
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.
@dodgers Taehyung’s first pitch? Mic Drop. #dodgers #sports #losangeles #bts #kpop ♬ original sound – Los Angeles Dodgers
V from BTS throws a STRIKE for his Dodgers first pitch! ⚾️#BTS #BTSArmy #방탄소년단 #Taehyung pic.twitter.com/GCAtHXvP6j
— MLB (@MLB) August 26, 2025
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.
“It’s time for Dodger baseball!” – V from BTS 🗣️#BTS #BTSArmy #방탄소년단 #Taehyung pic.twitter.com/riIqo9RC9P
— MLB (@MLB) August 26, 2025
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 lines outside Dodger Stadium for V’s first pitch tonight 😳#BTS #BTSArmy #방탄소년단 #Taehyung pic.twitter.com/1Myk01LCmo
— MLB (@MLB) August 26, 2025
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.
49,702 are here tonight to see V from BTS, and probably some of them wanted to see the Dodgers also.
— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) August 26, 2025
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.
V from BTS meets Shohei Ohtani ahead of his Dodgers first pitch! ⚾️#BTS #BTSArmy #방탄소년단 #Taehyung pic.twitter.com/eGzKOAruKg
— MLB (@MLB) August 25, 2025
Taehyung also shared warm interactions with several other Dodgers players, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Tommy Edman and Kike Hernández.
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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.
@dodgers Dodger Blue is in your DNA, V. Thanks for coming out to Dodger Stadium! 💜 #dodgers #sports #losangeles #bts #kpop ♬ original sound – Los Angeles Dodgers
mVp. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/qFCfCckaCP
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 26, 2025
