Under a summer-orange Los Angeles sky, Kim Taehyung—better known as V of BTS—took the mound at Dodger Stadium and delivered the kind of ceremonial first pitch that becomes instant lore. Wearing a crisp Dodgers jersey stamped with “V” and the number 7, he fired a left-handed strike before the Dodgers’ game against the Cincinnati Reds, setting off a chorus of cheers and camera flashes that rippled across Chavez Ravine and the internet alike.
A pitcher’s poise—and a bow
The moment was rich with detail. V bowed respectfully to starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, then glided into a smooth, compact delivery and dotted the mitt—an undeniably clean strike. He even led the classic pre-game call in English: “It’s time for Dodger baseball!”—a touch that charmed both ARMY and regulars on the home-plate concourse. Later, he greeted young autograph seekers and chatted with Dodgers ace Tyler Glasnow on the rail, looking every bit at home in the dugout.
Star meets superstar
If the pitch was the headline, the subhead was pure star power: a warm, quick hug and photo-op with global two-way phenomenon Shohei Ohtani, a crossover moment that blended two of the world’s most followed fandoms. The dugout interaction—easy smiles, quick words, flashes popping—fed a fresh surge of clips and edits on social platforms within minutes.
Why No. 7 hit differently
Choosing No. 7 was more than wardrobe—it was a wink. For BTS, seven is identity: seven members, seven years to their “Map of the Soul: 7” era, and a number ARMY treats like a badge. Seeing “7” in Dodger blue was a neat cultural bridge between K-pop lore and MLB ritual, a visual that read instantly to both crowds.
The build-up broke the internet (again)
This wasn’t a surprise cameo. The Dodgers announced on August 17 that V would handle the first pitch on August 25—and traffic to MLB’s ticketing portals reportedly swelled so hard that pages buckled under the demand. Chalk it up to the “Power of Kim Taehyung”: when ARMY mobilizes, even a Monday ballgame can feel like a tour stop.
Sound on: a BTS scoreboard takeover
Inside the park, the sound team had fun with it. As V stepped on the dirt, “MIC Drop” rumbled through the speakers; after the pitch, “FIRE” snapped in—an edit tailor-made for big-screen replays and fan cams. By the time the on-field wave of cheers died down, timelines were already filling with multi-angle uploads.
“Strike” goes viral
MLB’s own social handles blasted the clip, and sports outlets and entertainment pages quickly followed. The consensus? One of the cleanest first pitches in recent memory—mechanics tidy, location true, nerves steely. It’s rare to see baseball purists and pop-culture accounts agree that fast, but the tape didn’t lie.
A seven-run flourish
As if the night needed more symmetry, the Dodgers blanked the Reds 7–0—a scoreline that made the No. 7 on V’s back feel almost scripted. For a franchise that loves its storytelling, this was the kind of serendipity that turns a promo into a postcard.
What it signals for V—and BTS
Beyond the novelty, the appearance telegraphed something larger: V is back in public rhythm, loose and smiling, in the U.S. and working on music. Meanwhile, now that the group’s military duties are complete, BTS is widely reported to be plotting its next act. Whether that crescendo lands in late 2025 or beyond, moments like this keep the brand warm, the crossovers fresh, and the hype machine idling at green.
Final word
Ceremonial first pitches can be awkward or forgettable. V’s was neither. It was crisp, charismatic, and cleverly symbolic—an artist who knows how to command a stadium, even when the stage is 60 feet, 6 inches from home. In Dodger blue, wearing lucky No. 7, he turned a baseball tradition into a pop-culture highlight reel—and then let the internet do what it does best.
