On July 26, 2026, Jang Won-young — the 21-year-old member of K-pop group IVE — threw the ceremonial first pitch at Citi Field ahead of the New York Mets’ marquee matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Mets officially invited all six members of the group, who walked out onto the diamond wearing custom Mets jerseys. It was a pairing that made a lot more sense than it might look at first glance.
From the World Tour Stage to the Mets’ Mound
IVE debuted on December 1, 2021 under Starship Entertainment and quickly became one of the most successful debut acts in recent K-pop history, stacking rookie-of-the-year awards almost from their first week. By 2026, with a full world tour underway and a packed North American leg — their second global tour, ‘SHOW WHAT I HAVE’ — the Mets’ invitation was less a PR stunt and more a reflection of where IVE actually stands in the US market.
The fact that the game was Mets vs. Dodgers, one of the most compelling matchups on the MLB calendar, gave the moment a much bigger stage. Citi Field isn’t just any ballpark for this kind of crossover — it’s the home of a franchise that has spent the last two years actively trying to reposition itself as a cultural destination in New York. Bringing in a K-pop act with millions of US followers fits squarely into that strategy.
Korean Baseball Was in the Building Too
The visit went well beyond the first pitch. IVE’s members also filmed special content alongside former MLB pitcher Kim Byung-hyun and former MLB and KBO pitcher Dustin Nippert — two figures who represent about as direct a bridge between Korean and American baseball as you can find. Nippert built a prolific career in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) after his time in the majors and remains a recognizable name in both worlds.
The members also got time with Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, one of the most recognizable faces in the franchise. For a group working to cement its foothold in the English-speaking market, a photo op with one of the MLB’s most popular players — and one with a wide Latino following that extends IVE’s reach further — is anything but a throwaway moment.
At its core, Jang Won-young’s first pitch is a cultural data point with cleats on: the Mets found in IVE a vehicle to pull a new audience through the turnstiles, and IVE found in Citi Field a backdrop that very few K-pop tours can offer. How well the bet paid off for both sides will show up in the attendance and coverage numbers from that afternoon.
