Jun 5, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (54) follows through on a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

K-pop Idol Attends Yankees Game

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Erin Shapland | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The New York Yankees had a global pop sensation in attendance at a recent game, and evidently he is a fan of starting pitcher Max Fried.

While on tour in New York, Seungmin of the K-pop band Stray Kids attended the Yankees' June 20 game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium, and posted photos on Instagram afterward with the caption "Playball⚾ @yankees". He wore a Max Fried jersey, and included photos of Fried and Aaron Judge from the game. He concluded the Instagram carousel with a photo of Judge's stats from this season, so it's safe to say he's a fan of the slugger as well.

Seungmin in the baseball stadium!

The Stray Kids star was at Yankee Stadium last night ⚾️#StrayKids #스트레이키즈 #Seungmin pic.twitter.com/cbPAlXaQjJ
— MLB (@MLB) June 21, 2025

Seungmin and the seven other members of Stray Kids spent Wednesday and Thursday across town this week, playing two sold-out shows at Citi Field on the North American leg of their dominATE World Tour to screaming crowds of adoring fans.

The K-pop idol is well-known for his love of baseball, and dreamed of playing professionally when he was a kid. Unfortunately, due to his family's financial circumstances and his own injuries, he gave up the pursuit to chase his other passion: singing. It seems to have panned out for him.

He continues to show his love for the sport, however, throwing out the first pitch (a strike) in the Los Angeles Dodgers' game against Team Korea in the 2024 MLB Seoul Series. The pitch drew praise from fans, including one who playfully compared his arm to Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, "Dude throwing better than Yamamoto in spring training".

Seungmin's first pitch was a STRIKE!#StrayKids #스트레이키즈 #Seungmin pic.twitter.com/hnl81QYuUs
— MLB (@MLB) March 18, 2024

Seungmin has collected jerseys throughout the tour, posting photos in a Kim Hye-seong Dodgers jersey, a Jung-Hoo Lee San Francisco Giants jersey and a Seattle Mariners jacket.

Stray Kids last toured the United States during their 2022-2023 Maniac World Tour, so their appearances in New York were long-awaited and well-attended. While in town, they also lit the Empire State Building in burgundy, and during their Citi Field shows the Mets mascots wore Stray Kids shirts. To cap off the week, the group won their first Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Music Group on Saturday evening.

The Yankees went on to lose the game he attended, 5-3, against the Orioles. They will finish the series on Sunday morning, beginning at 11:35 a.m.

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