Hoshimachi Suisei took to the mound at the ZOZO Marine Stadium yesterday to deliver the very first ceremonial pitch by a virtual YouTuber.

As part of a collaboration event with Hatsune Miku, Suisei "threw" the ball with the help of a giant screen and a pitching machine. Perhaps due to a slight discrepancy between the visuals and the arc of the ball, she was actually able to strike out Shingo Ishikawa from the Chiba Lotte Marines.

The ceremonial pitch is a longstanding tradition in baseball where a guest of honor throws the first ball to a home team player at the start of the game. In Japan, this role is regularly taken up by celebrities and singers alike, but usually they're not very good. Clara from Claris didn't even manage to keep the ball on target when she opened a match for the Nippon Ham Fighters back in May.

Of course, this is not the first time that baseball and virtual YouTubers have crossed paths. Suisei already appeared at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles alongside Gawr Gura and Usada Pekora in 2024 for the hololive night event, but none of them actually took the field. That just goes to show how accepted virtual talents have become, as well as the influence of Suisei's new agency.