Hyeseong Kim joined the Los Angeles Dodgers after eight seasons in the KBO, which generally is considered to be the rough equivalent of Triple-A level.
The 26-year-old made the jump to Major League Baseball with the hope of competing for a starting role on a loaded Dodgers roster.
Kim has received glowing reviews for his work in the field, which mainly is at second base. His teammates are playing active roles in making Kim feel comfortable, both on and off the field.
Meanwhile, developing Kim’s hitting is the main area the Dodgers appeared focused on. Manager Dave Roberts noted that even with a spot for Kim on the Major League roster, there’s still the possibility he could be optioned to the Minors to begin the season.
“I would say, if there’s one part of it, the question mark, I would say it is the bat,” said Roberts. “I think that’s something that the competition is different over there than here, just the adjusting. And obviously he’s going through some swing changes that he believes will help him also make this kind of transition easier and sustainable.
“He bet on himself to come here and to compete, and so right now he’s in a competition to earn a job with us. So I would say that’s still all in play, and we don’t need to make a decision right now, obviously, but I would say that if there’s one thing that is still in question is the bat. And I think that’s a fair thought on our part.”
Kim displayed an elite prowess with strike zone awareness and stealing bases, while having a real bat-to-ball skillset. He provides a different breath when it comes to what the Dodgers have with their lineup, and offensively, Kim is continuing to work hard on new changes.
“Early look at it, I think that there’s significant adjustments with his mechanics that I think will play with velocity, play with late movement, the cut fastball, the change up versus right,” Roberts said.
“So he’s just got to have more game repetitions. But the buy-in has been outstanding, and certainly there’s a lot of aptitude with Hyeseong. Really smart guy, open guy, really energetic. There’s a lot of things to like.”
The Dodgers have the luxury of time when it comes to Kim, and showing their patience early on will ensure that he isn’t thrown in a tough scenario where he needs to learn on the fly.
Having several options to play second base, shortstop and center field, Kim’s likely spots, is the main driver in refraining from being overly aggressive in starting him.
Early analysis of Hyeseong Kim
Offensively, there is still more work to be done. As Roberts noted, Kim is making proper strides to get himself up to speed with facing Major League pitching.
Kim’s glove is his calling card, and the versatility he’s shown thus far is adequate. The Dodgers are still likely to shift him around the diamond, with the hope his athleticism allows him to be competent in center field.
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