The Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed in their full squad to Spring Training this past week, with a handful of new faces wearing the Dodger blue. That includes Hyeseong Kim, who was signed this winter to a multi-year deal after eight seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization.
Kim has moved around defensively in that time, but his main position of strength is second base. He’s a four-time Golden Glove Award winner, which honors the top overall player at each position.
The 26-year-old was posted by the Kiwoom Heroes, and the Dodgers made a spot for him on the roster with some corresponding moves.
The Dodgers have liked his upside for a while and see his versatility as something they’ll put on display this spring, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com:
Per Roberts, Kim is expected to get reps at second base, third base and center field this spring.
Kim hasn’t logged any professional innings in center field, but he made 44 appearances in left field during the 2020 season.
His bat-to-ball skills, coupled with his ability to steal bases, is where the Dodgers see his upside on the offensive end. Defensively, he’s flashed a stellar glove at second base, garnering praise from those in camp early on.
There shouldn’t be any issue with his transition to Major League Baseball with the glove, but the Dodgers are poised to push him to be as toolsy as possible.
Outlook for Hyeseong Kim
Kim fits the mold of a glove-first middle infielder that can use his speed and base running ability to impact a game in his own way. The Dodgers, rightfully, don’t seem concerned with his lack of slugging in his bat.
Their willingness to trade once-top-prospect Gavin Lux in a move to the Cincinnati Reds created space for Kim, and allowed them to gain a truly, versatile player. Lux was stuck at just second base, and his inability to get on base at a high clip didn’t help his cause.
The Dodgers enjoy having players who can move around, it also helps when Kim’s is clearly the better player with an increasing low strikeout rate and consistent stolen base numbers.
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