Hyeseong Kim was a surprising addition to the Los Angeles Dodgers roster in the offseason, and so far he’s proving to be a welcomed one.
After beginning the year with Triple-A Oklahoma City to work on his swing, Kim was promoted at the start of May, and he’s been arguably the Dodgers’ most productive hitter since then.
Kim started his tenure by becoming the first Dodgers rookie to reach base in nine consecutive plate appearances since Corey Seager in 2015, which tied the longest streak since the team moved to L.A. in 1958.
On the final day of May, Kim went 4-for-4 with a double, home run, walk, two RBI and three runs scored. In that game, he became the first player in MLB history during the Modern Era (since 1901) with at least four hits, a home run, unassisted double play and an outfield assist in one game.
But Kim is providing more to the Dodgers than his production on the field. He’s also proving to be a spark plug who is bringing energy on a nightly basis.
“Hyeseong, there’s just something about him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That youthful enthusiasm, that joy, he’s just happy to be out there, happy to be on the team. Guys feed off the energy.
“He takes really good at-bats, he competes. Even against that lefty, getting behind in the count and fouling a couple pitches off to hit the homer, made a great play defensively that saved Landon to double up whoever it was. And to get Judge, the throw showed some arm strength. Played a heck of a ballgame.”
Roberts previously praised the 26-year-old for bringing a “fearlessness” and “spark” to the Dodgers lineup. His versatility has also been an added bonus with appearances at second base, shortstop and center field.
When Kim was promoted for his MLB debut, the plan was just to gain some experience. But but he made a case for the roster that could not be ignored, which in part led to the Dodgers releasing Chris Taylor.
Kim is currently getting about three starts a week primarily as a bench player, but if he keeps up his performance, it will continue to get more difficult to keep him out of the lineup.
Blake Snell enjoys watching Hyeseong Kim
Along with Roberts, Blake Snell also gave some praise to Kim, saying he has enjoyed watching him play while citing his energy and positivity, in addition to developing since Spring Training.
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