K-pop singer Jang Won-young turned heads at Sunday’s New York Mets game when she delivered a ceremonial first pitch with surprisingly polished mechanics, sparking discussion about athletic training differences between countries.
The IVE band member, whose group commands over six million daily listeners worldwide, was honored with throwing out the first pitch before the Mets faced the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the entire IVE group attended the game, Jang’s windup caught particular attention from observers.
“To be fair, Jang has a helluva windup, which has me thinking, do they teach pitching mechanics in elementary schools in South Korea and Japan?” Joe Kinsey, OutKick’s Senior Director of Content, remarked. He wondered how the K-pop star managed to “put our travel ball kids to shame.”
The appearance came as part of IVE’s North American tour stop. The group also filmed content with former Korean major leaguer Kim Byung-hyun and former professional pitcher Dustin Nippert during their visit to the stadium.
Artist Expresses Honor at Baseball Milestone
According to The Korean Times, Jang expressed gratitude for the opportunity. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to throw the first pitch at a game watched by baseball fans around the world,” she said. “I’ll do my best to share positive energy with both the players and everyone in the stands.”
IVE is currently in the midst of the North American leg of its second world tour, “SHOW WHAT I AM.” The group, described by Billboard as an “undeniable force in K-pop’s next generation,” has scheduled eight arena performances across the United States and Canada running from July through August. The broader tour, which launched in late 2025, also includes stops in Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.
MLB’s Continued K-Pop Partnership
The ceremonial pitch represents part of Major League Baseball’s ongoing strategy to connect with younger and more globally diverse audiences through K-pop collaborations. This marks the latest in a series of partnerships between the league and Korean music acts.
On the league’s opening day this season, BTS—among the most popular music groups globally—partnered with MLB following the debut of their album “ARIRANG” shortly before baseball season began. The league featured the group’s music in a promotional video on Instagram.
BTS member V also threw a ceremonial opening pitch at Dodger Stadium in 2025 and met baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani during that appearance.
K-pop’s influence has grown substantially in the United States in recent years, with BTS playing a particularly significant role in the genre’s American breakthrough. The group won the Billboard Music Award for Top Social Artist in 2017, marking a watershed moment for Korean pop music’s presence in the American mainstream.
The crossover between K-pop and America’s pastime reflects both MLB’s push to modernize its fan base and the music genre’s expanding cultural footprint beyond traditional entertainment venues. As Korean music groups continue to draw massive crowds for arena tours across North America, their appearances at major sporting events signal the genre’s transformation from niche interest to mainstream cultural phenomenon.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/k-pop-singer-takes-the-spotlight-at-mets-game-with-polished-windup