Number_i Take the Mound: Japan’s Trio Throws Out the First Pitch at Dodgers Game
On September 1, Number_i stepped onto the field at Dodger Stadium for a moment that carried meaning well beyond the baseball game itself. Sho Hirano, Yuta Jinguji, and Yuta Kishi were invited to throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Los Angeles Dodgers game, giving the Japanese trio another memorable introduction to American audiences.
Formed in 2024, Number_i brings together Sho Hirano, Yuta Jinguji, and Yuta Kishi, three artists who entered a new chapter of their careers when they began working together under the group’s name. Their debut full-length album, No.I, arrived that same year and topped the Billboard Japan JP Albums chart, establishing an immediate foundation for the trio in Japan. Their second album, No.II, followed in 2025 and also debuted at No. 1, while their singles have continued reaching the top of the Billboard Japan Hot 100. The group has built its identity around the ideas represented by its name, including being “Only One” and “Love,” alongside the desire to move forward with the people supporting them. Those ideas have become part of the relationship Number_i has developed with its fans as the group continues shaping its own path.
That path has increasingly extended beyond Japan. Number_i made its U.S. live debut at the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, bringing their performance to an American festival audience and opening another chapter in the group’s international activities. Their recent signing with Atlantic Records and WME has added further momentum to those plans, creating opportunities for the trio to introduce themselves to audiences who may know little about Japanese pop music. The Dodgers appearance adds another kind of introduction, placing the members in the middle of a Los Angeles tradition that exists outside the concert environment entirely.
A ceremonial first pitch carries its own place within American sports culture. Entertainers, athletes, public figures, and special guests have long been invited onto the field before games to take part in the pregame tradition, making it a recognizable moment even for people who may not follow the guest’s work. For Number_i, the invitation brought Sho, Yuta, and Yuta directly into the atmosphere of one of Los Angeles’ most recognizable sports venues. There were no concert stages, microphones, or choreography involved. Instead, the three members were participating in a piece of the city’s baseball culture, giving fans an opportunity to see another side of the group while introducing their names and personalities to people who may have encountered them for the first time that day.
The setting also made the moment especially fitting for a group whose international activities have continued to grow through different kinds of cultural spaces. Coachella introduced Number_i through music and live performance, while their industry partnerships are helping create a wider professional presence in the United States. Dodger Stadium offered something different: an opportunity to simply be present within Los Angeles culture. Watching Sho Hirano, Yuta Jinguji, and Yuta Kishi step onto the field made the distance between their Japanese career and their growing American presence feel a little smaller, especially for fans who have followed that journey since the group first began.
Their latest release, “Bugs Life,” arrives during this period of increased visibility, giving fans another piece of Number_i’s music as the trio continues moving between the Japanese and international markets. The song adds to an already growing catalog while the members themselves are becoming more visible in settings outside traditional music promotion. The Dodgers appearance gave that visibility a particularly personal quality because fans were able to see the members participating in something completely different from their usual work. It was a brief appearance, but the novelty of watching three J-pop artists take part in an American baseball tradition gave the moment its own charm.
For Number_i fans, there is also something special about seeing the members take part in a moment that feels so distinctly Los Angeles. Their U.S. journey has already included Coachella, major industry partnerships, and an expanding audience, and now Dodger Stadium becomes another point along that timeline. These moments give international fans new memories to share while allowing American audiences to encounter Number_i through places and experiences they may already recognize. The group's music remains at the center of that growth, but every new setting adds another way for people to become familiar with Sho, Yuta, and Yuta.
The timing also reflects the broader visibility J-pop has been gaining in the United States, giving artists from Japan more opportunities to appear in spaces beyond the traditional music circuit. Number_i entered the American market with an established career and fanbase behind them, so their U.S. activities are part of an ongoing expansion rather than a first introduction to the music industry. Each appearance adds another piece to the picture, from performing at Coachella to releasing music for an international audience and now stepping onto the field at one of Los Angeles’ most recognizable sporting venues.
For a moment that lasted only a few seconds, Number_i’s first pitch at Dodger Stadium became another memorable stop in the trio’s growing U.S. journey. Sho Hirano, Yuta Jinguji, and Yuta Kishi brought their personalities into a setting far removed from the concert stage, giving fans a new memory and American audiences another chance to discover Number_i.
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