Disappointed! Kim Hye-sung is expected to be excluded from going to Tokyo, and eventually it starts with the minor leagues?
Mar 04, 2025
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MLB.COM, a major league website, announced the list of expected starters for the Dodgers' opening game in Tokyo (March 18-19) on the 4th (Korea time). Kim Hye-sung was excluded from the article written by Sonja Chen, a reporter in charge of the Dodgers. In other words, Kim Hye-sung is expected to fail to enter the opening entry of the Major League. The second baseman, originally expected to be played by Kim Hye-sung, included the name of Tommy Edman, who was the second baseman of the Korean national team during the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
This media is 'Juss acquired Kim Hye-sung last offseason and traded infielder Gavin Lux to the Cincinnati Reds. As a result, Kim Hye-sung is expected to take the Dodgers' second baseman position. However, manager Dave Roberts is likely to start the season in the minor leagues so that Kim Hye-sung can adapt to the major league's quick restraint. In the end, this means that Edman is more likely to play second base (in the opening series)."
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However, Kim Hye-sung revealed a serious weakness in terms of hitting through an exhibition game. Initially, the Dodgers coaching staff ordered a full-scale revision of the batting form after seeing Kim Hye-sung's batting performance in the early spring camp. It was judged that the existing batting form could not properly target the fastballs and sharp breaking balls of Major League pitchers.
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Kim Hye-sung, who played in the exhibition game with a new batting form, failed to target the opposing pitchers at all. In the first six games, his batting average dropped to 0.071 (1 hit in 14 at-bats). It was at a level where it was impossible to enter the major league entry. Then, he revived his possibility by hitting his first home run in an exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants on the 2nd. It was the first long hit in seven exhibition games.
However, this atmosphere did not continue. After the home run on the 2nd, he was deployed as a pinch runner on the 3rd, and had one hitless pitcher and one strikeout, and his batting average is still only 1118 (2 hits in 17 times at bat). This is the result of not completely correcting the problem of hitting.
In the end, it is practically impossible for Kim Hye-sung to take the main second baseman in the Tokyo opener against the Chicago Cubs, which is about 15 days away. MLB.COM is describing this point objectively.
The bigger problem is that Kim Hye-sung will not be included in the entry as a backup defense, let alone a main second baseman. The media expected Edman to take over as the main second baseman and put Kiké Hernández, Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor in the backup defense. Kim Hye-sung's name, which can be outfielded outside the infield, was not included.
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Kim Hye-sung did not make the list for the first minor league announced on the 3rd. He managed to survive and still got a chance to play in the exhibition game. However, this does not confirm the entry into the opening entry of the Major League Baseball. It's simply a decision out of necessity.
If Kim Hye-sung fails to overcome his batting weakness remarkably during the remaining exhibition games, there is little way to avoid going to the minor leagues. The exhibition games clearly show that defensive ability alone cannot appeal. There are many players with Kim Hye-sung's multi-defensive skills. And they all hit better than Kim Hye-sung.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
